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FAS technical advice line: 03000 200 301
- Key dates to be aware of…
- How can we help you?
- Update on the Sustainable Farming Incentive
- FAS Webinar: Making the most of your SFI agreement
- Public Rights of Way: Farmers/Land managers Responsibilities
- Animal Health and Welfare Pathway
- How CSF and the EA worked in partnership to support a Sussex cattle & sheep farm
- Water abstraction: Winter & all year water abstraction returns
- Initial prospects for irrigation- forecast for 2025
- AI in Agri-Food: Boost Efficiency, Sustainability & Profitability
- Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
- Stay up to date with us
If you hold a winter or all year round water abstraction licence (authorising abstraction outside the period April to October), the Environment Agency will ask you to submit your record of actual abstraction. You have 28 days to submit your record of actual abstraction to the Environment Agency. (GOV.UK)
The burning season for heather, rough grass, bracken, gorse or vaccinium is:
• 1 October to 15 April in upland areas
• 1 November to 31 March in other areas.
(GOV.UK)
If you hold a water abstraction licence, from 1 April the Environment Agency will generate and send you your annual bill (or first-part charge if you hold a two-part tariff agreement) for the forthcoming financial year (GOV.UK)
In case you missed them...
For any land located in an NVZ, this date is the end for quantity restrictions for applying organic manures with a high, readily available nitrogen content. This is subject to compliance with the Farming Rules for Water and there is agronomic justification. (NVZ Guidance)
You must not cut or trim a hedgerow that is covered by the Hedgerow management rules from 1 March to 31 August. You must not cause or permit another person to cut or trim such a hedgerow. Occasions where exemptions occur can be found on GOV.UK
For more details about the information provided in the key dates table, visit the Rules for Farmers and Land Managers and the relevant pages of GOV.UK.
Key dates for annual SFI declaration submission
To assist Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) agreement holders, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) have outlined the opening and closing dates for the SFI annual declaration submission based on the start date of the agreement:
| Agreement start date | Declaration period opens | Declaration period closes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2024 | 1 February 2025 | 31 March 2025 |
| 1 May 2024 | 1 March 2025 | 30 April 2025 |
| 1 June 2024 | 1 April 2025 | 31 May 2025 |
| 1 July 2024 | 1 May 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
| 1 August 2024 | 1 June 2025 | 31 July 2025 |
| 1 September 2024 | 1 July 2025 | 31 August 2025 |
| 1 October 2024 | 1 August 2025 | 30 September 2025 |
| 1 November 2024 | 1 September 2025 | 31 October 2025 |
| 1 December 2024 | 1 October 2025 | 30 November 2025 |
| 1 January 2025 | 1 November 2025 | 31 December 2025 |
Free and confidential advice
The FAS is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). We provide free, confidential advice to help farmers and land managers in England understand and meet the legal requirements in English law around certain farming activities to protect people, livestock and the environment. We update the farming sector on relevant government farming policy that is applicable in England and on the actions that can be taken to help farmers comply with the relevant regulations.
Our website hosts our previous newsletters, technical resources and webinars covering various topics in more detail.
Contacting the advice line:
Farmers requiring telephone advice can contact the FAS technical advice line on 03000 200 301, Monday to Friday, between 08:30 and 17:00. The Rural Services Helpline provides a single number for all FAS, Rural Payments Agency (RPA), Animal and Plant Health Agency, Natural England and forestry enquiries.
You can also email enquiries to advice@farmingadviceservice.org.uk. Our helpline team aims to respond to all telephone and email enquiries within one working day.
You can now speak to our helpline team through the new online chat function on the farmingadviceservice.org.uk website.
The advice given to individual farmers is confidential – we do not disclose any personal or individual information or data obtained during advisory activities.
Update on the Sustainable Farming Incentive
On 11 March, the government announced that new applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI24) would no longer be accepted.
Farmers with existing SFI agreements will be paid, and outstanding eligible applications that have been submitted will also be taken forward. The table below has been provided by Defra to explain: what this means for you.
| Scenario | What happens |
|---|---|
| If you have an SFI agreement | Nothing changes. You will continue to receive payments as normal under the terms of your agreement. In many cases for another three years. If your agreement expires in October 2026, you may be eligible to apply for the reformed SFI offer after your current agreement ends. The Government will provide more details later this year. If you entered an SFI agreement this year, you will be paid until 2028. |
| If you’ve been offered an agreement but haven’t yet accepted | You need to accept your SFI agreement offer within 10 working days of it being offered (as explained in the agreement offer letter). If you don’t, your SFI agreement offer may be withdrawn. |
| If you submitted an SFI application before applications closed but have not yet received an offer | You will be offered an agreement, provided your application is eligible. |
| If you started an SFI application but did not submit it before applications were closed | You will not be able to submit your application. The only exceptions to this are a small group of farmers who were blocked from submitting their applications due to a system fault or had requested ‘assisted digital’ support from the RPA to apply, and ex-SFI Pilot farmers whose Pilot agreement has already ended, but they haven’t applied for the full SFI 2024 offer on land which was in their Pilot agreement. |
| If you have an SFI Pilot agreement or your SFI Pilot agreement has ended | If you are in the SFI Pilot, you will be able to apply when your pilot agreement ends. If you were in the Pilot and your agreement has ended already but you haven’t submitted an application for the expanded SFI offer yet, you will be able to apply. The RPA will let you know how to do this shortly. |
FAS Webinar: Making the most of your SFI agreement
Join the Farming Advice Service, Briony Burge of Creedy Associates and Fraser Hugill, Yorkshire farmer and advisor, for this webinar on lessons learned from the SFI offer so far, a guide to reporting and record keeping for common options, making the most of the agreement. Put your questions on SFI delivery, management, and reporting to our expert advisors at the end of the session.
Book your free place now:
Public Rights of Way: Farmers/Land managers Responsibilities
As a farmer/land manager, it's important to be aware of your responsibilities concerning public rights of way on your property. Keeping these paths accessible and safe not only fulfils legal requirements but also helps build positive relationships with the public and local authorities.
Find out if there’s a public right of way on your land
Your local authority (national park authorities, county councils, some district councils, metropolitan boroughs or unitary authorities) will normally have a ‘definitive map’ of your area showing public rights of way. Definitive maps are a legal record of public rights of way in 4 categories:
Footpaths / Bridleways / Restricted byways / Byways open to all traffic
Key Responsibilities:
- Keep Paths Clear: Ensure public rights of way are free from obstructions like fences, walls, or overgrown vegetation. Obstructing a public right of way is a criminal offence.
- Maintain Visibility: Paths should be clearly visible and marked. If official waymarking is unclear, you may add informal waymarks to guide users.
- Field-edge and Cross-field Paths: You must not cultivate footpaths or bridleways that follow a field edge. If you must cultivate a cross-field path, ensure it remains apparent and is restored to its minimum width within the specified timeframes.
- Structures for Access: Maintain gates or stiles to ensure they are safe and accessible for public use.
- Livestock Management: Be mindful of livestock on land crossed by public rights of way. Certain animals are banned from these areas to ensure the safety of path users.
- Spraying and Chemicals: When spraying chemicals on land with public rights of way, take precautions to avoid endangering users. Inform the public of any potential hazards.
- Cultivation, Crops, and Public Rights of Way: Keep public rights of way open and available after ploughing, cultivation, and cropping.
- Before Ploughing/Cultivation:
- Ensure your tractor driver or contractor knows where paths are and how to deal with them.
- Field-edge rights of way must not be ploughed or cultivated.
- Avoid cultivating cross-field footpaths and bridleways if you can reasonably do so.
- Cross-field byways open to all traffic and restricted byways must not be cultivated.
- After Ploughing/Cultivation:
- Within 14 days, the path must have a firm, level surface and be marked on the ground to at least the minimum width.
- It is good practice to re-establish rights of way before leaving the field, using tractor wheels to define the minimum width.
- Further Ploughing/Cultivation:
- If further cultivation is necessary after the expiry of the 14-day period, the path must be reinstated within 24 hours. This is best achieved before leaving the field by marking the path using, for example, tractor wheels.
- During the Growing Season (for crops other than grass):
- As the crop grows, the path must remain evident on the ground.
- Before the crop reaches a height of 150mm (6”), the crop should be removed from the path.
- The path should remain clear of the crop to its minimum legal width, including where the crop encroaches from the sides as it grows.
- Tall Crops:
- To prevent obstruction to the minimum width, tall crops such as oilseed rape or maize may need additional clearance during the growing season. A practical solution is to clear extra width, equal to the anticipated height of the crop.
What Happens if a Path is Not Reinstated?: Farmers/land managers must ensure that when a field is ploughed, cultivated, or sown with crops, any public right of way across it is reinstated to its recorded legal width, or the minimum legally prescribed width, within set timescales. If a path is not reinstated within this period then the local authority has the option to use enforcement/prosecution powers to ensure it is restored.
Hedgerows & Buffer Strips
Farmers and land managers should also be aware that the above responsibilities may interact with the Hedgerow Management Rules for both cutting/trimming and buffer strips.
Problems with public rights of way
If you experience a problem with a public right of way contact the rights of way section of the highway authority through whose area the route passes.
For more detailed information, visit the GOV.UK website and the Countryside Code for land managers.
For further advice and support, contact the Farming Advice Service (FAS) technical advice line at 03000 200 301 or email advice@farmingadviceservice.org.uk.
Animal Health and Welfare Pathway
The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway offers farmers in England funding for an annual visit from a vet of their choice. The aim is to support the improvement of livestock health and welfare while enhancing sustainability and productivity.
The pathway consists of an animal health and welfare review and endemic disease follow-up. There will also be funding available to cattle keepers for an optional persistently infected (PI) hunt. This provides an opportunity to test an entire herd where the initial testing of selected animals comes back negative, if the vet recommends it.
Defra recently announced that farmers can now apply for funding under the Animal Health and Welfare pathway for more than one species. Up to 3 reviews and 3 follow-ups are available for a single herd and flock of each species (cattle, sheep and pigs).
What to be aware of:
- Have an ‘Animal Health and Welfare’ agreement in place before completing a review or follow up
- Provide your vet with your Improve Animal Health and Welfare (IAHW) agreement number
- The review/Follow up takes 2-3 hours, over one or multiple visits
- Follow-ups can only be conducted following a review and must be for the same species. You can read more about timing of reviews and follow-ups.
- You may be able to use the review/follow-up test results for other accreditation schemes
- You cannot use other accreditation scheme test results for the review or follow-up funding
- You must leave at least 10 months between reviews
- A follow up must be completed no more than 10 months after each review visit date. If this timeframe is missed, you can begin the process again by arranging a second review
- If tests for BVD are negative and a PI hunt is not conducted during the follow up, you are eligible to claim the cost of a biosecurity assessment
During the Review/follow up:
- Ask your vet to complete the required sampling and testing based on livestock species and review results.
- Pay separately for any additional medical tests requested during the review or follow-up.
- Request health and welfare advice from your vet during the review and follow-up.
- During the follow-up, ask your vet to assess farm biosecurity.
- After the review/follow-up, request a written report with all assessments, test results, and recommended actions.
- After the review, request a summary of the review/follow-up for claims, including a vet attestation number if needed for EU exports.
- Vets must read and follow the guidance on required sampling and testing for the animal health and welfare review and endemic disease follow-up.
More information and support:
Click here to learn how to apply for funding to improve your animal health and welfare. Contact the RPA for support arranging or completing your review.
Watch the webinar recording by Defra talked on the Annual Health and Welfare Review, the endemic disease follow-up and the new optional PI hunt.
Subscribe to the regular Pathfinder newsletter, to receive updates on the Pathway.
You can also subscribe to the Farming blog to receive updates as soon as they are available.
How CSF and the EA worked in partnership to support a Sussex cattle & sheep farm
A family run farm located in Sussex was undergoing a routine visit from the Environment Agency (EA), when it was discovered that the farm had built a slurry lagoon, a silage clamp, and a farmyard manure (FYM) store without providing prior notice to the EA (The EA should be notified at least 14 days before construction commences).
Upon further inspection, there was evidence the slurry lagoon had over-topped and that the silage clamps, as well as the FYM store, did not have perimeter drainage channels to catch any runoff. There were also indications of effluent/slurry runoff into the field, and soil testing hadn’t been carried out.
Since the inspection, the farm has worked closely with their local EA Officer and Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) Adviser to address the issues. The CSF Adviser carried out an infrastructure audit prior to the construction of the slurry lagoon, to ensure it would be constructed in accordance with regulations.
Soil testing was immediately carried out by the EA, with plans for further testing to assess any improvements. Most importantly, the EA and the farm will plan future applications of organic manure together, based on the results of the soil testing.
Furthermore, after the farm had a consultation with the EA, a plan was made to enlarge the slurry lagoon, ensuring the farm has adequate facilities in place. The farm is also in the process of installing perimeter drainage channels around the back of the FYM store.
How positive engagement led to a resolution
Collaborating with the EA and CSF has enabled this farm to resolve compliance issues effectively. Benefits have included:
- Slurry storage capacity to last five months, so it shouldn't over top.
- Using the soil test results to plan the actual applications of organic manures more efficiently, saving to farm money and causing less harm to the environment.
- Once the perimeter drainage channels have been constructed it will stop any slurry / effluent run off from entering the field. Instead, it will get channelled into the slurry lagoon where it can be spread and used more effectively.
Water abstraction: Winter & all year water abstraction returns
If you hold an abstraction licence which authorises abstraction during the winter and all year period (the authorised period of abstraction does not fall wholly between 1 April to 31 October) you may need to report your water abstraction return for the twelve month reporting period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
If you need to submit a return you will receive a notification from the Environment Agency at the end of March/beginning of April 2025.
You will need to submit your return by 28 April 2024.
In readiness for submitting your return, you can submit your return online by registering with the Environment Agency’s online digital service at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/manage-your-water-abstraction-or-impoundment-licences-online.
If you already have an online account and have applied for and received a new licence, including a renewal of a licence which previously expired, since you last submitted a return you will need to link the new licence to your account. You can do this by accessing your account and selecting the ‘add licence’ option.
If you had a licence which expired during the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 (inclusive) a return may still be requested. To submit the return you will need to request a paper return form from the Agency rather than submitting online. You can contact the Agency on 03708 506 506 or at enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
If you have a Two Part Tariff (TPT) annual charge arrangement and do not submit a return your second part charge will be calculated using the authorised quantity specified by your licence and the full annual charge will be payable even if you didn’t abstract any water (a nil return can be reported to the Environment Agency). A TPT Charge Arrangement can, subject to agreement by the Environment Agency, be applied to licences authorising abstraction for spray or trickle irrigation.
Environment Agency Initial prospects for irrigation- forecast for 2025
The Environment Agency (EA) has published their initial irrigation forecast for 2025. For this spring’s initial report, irrigation prospects are good as the water resources position has been generally healthy over the winter period. Due to this, a more concise national summary report has been produced which includes details of the current water resources situation and the irrigation forecast status for each area.
An updated irrigation prospect report will be published at the end of April to include a more detailed EA area forecast and reflect any changes to the current water resources position.
AI in Agri-Food: Boost Efficiency, Sustainability & Profitability
Ricardo, in collaboration with Innovate UK's BridgeAI programme, is inviting farmers/land mangers to a free webinar on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in agriculture. This session will explore how these technologies can potentially enhance sustainability, efficiency, and profitability in farming operations.
About the BridgeAI Programme: The BridgeAI programme, led by Innovate UK, aims to integrate advanced AI technologies into farming practices. The programme focuses on improving productivity, sustainability, and profitability through innovative solutions tailored to the agricultural sector.
Webinar Agenda:
- Core Principles of AI & ML: An overview of the fundamental concepts of AI and ML.
- Real-World Applications: Examples of how AI and ML are currently being used in farming.
- Implementation: Guidance on how to start using these technologies in your own operations.
- Q&A Session: An opportunity to ask questions and engage with experts.
Date: Tuesday, 29 April
Time: 7pm
Location: Online
Register Now: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_si4PYPBuQb6ztRiXlVBSrA
Learn more about the BridgeAI programme by registering your interest for more information: Free AI and Machine Learning Training for UK Food and Farming Businesses
Defra regularly updates the Farming blog. Please subscribe to the blog to ensure you receive all the latest news.
Update on poultry vaccination against avian influenza
The joint industry and cross-Government avian influenza vaccination taskforce has published an update on its work to assess options for poultry vaccination against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
Currently, vaccination of commercial poultry is not permitted in the UK. While vaccines can reduce bird mortality and clinical signs, vaccinated birds can still become infected and spread the virus. This could mask infections and potentially lead to undetected disease spread.
Several practical challenges are also being considered by the taskforce:
- Current vaccines may not offer optimal protection against the latest virus strains
- Effective surveillance systems to detect infections
- International trade impacts, as some countries may restrict imports of vaccinated poultry products, or products from countries with vaccination programmes
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate is currently assessing several new HPAI vaccines, including some that may be more effective against contemporary H5 strains.
The taskforce will continue gathering information and completing analysis, aiming to publish a detailed report in summer 2025.
Good biosecurity remains the most effective way to protect poultry flocks and poultry businesses. This includes practical steps like changing footwear when entering bird housing and using approved disinfectants, cleaning bird housing, equipment, vehicles and footwear, as well as preventing contact with wild birds and rodents.
Read more about the latest situation with avian influenza.
Local Resource Option Screening Study Applications to Open Spring 2025
Over the past year, the Environment Agency (EA) has conducted Local Resource Option (LRO) screening studies with farmer groups across England. This government-funded initiative provided expert assessments of local water resources, helping farmers better understand and improve their water resilience.
The 2024/25 program has been a success, identifying a wide range of LROs for over 109 farms across four regions and receiving positive feedback from farmers and other stakeholders.
The EA has announced the relaunch of the LRO screening study fund, with plans for a new round of studies in the 2025/26 financial year. Defra and the EA will provide further details with applications due to open in the spring.
Farmers invited to take part in the world’s first field trials of a cattle TB vaccine and a companion skin test
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is launching the next phase of the cattle TB vaccination field trials and is encouraging interested farmers and veterinarians to support the delivery of this project.
Phase 3 will gather further information on the performance of the companion skin test (also referred to as the Detect Infected amongst Vaccinated Cattle (DIVA skin test)) from a wider selection of vaccinated, non-infected animals in the newly recruited herds.
The field trials will take place on commercial cattle farms in areas of England and Wales where there is a low incidence of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and are set to be completed in 2026/7.
If you are interested in taking part in this research project, and believe you have a cattle herd that meets the inclusion criteria listed on the TB Hub, please contact APHA by emailing TB.Advice@apha.gov.uk.
Report to Defra if vaccinating livestock against BTV-3
Livestock keepers in England and Wales who choose to vaccinate their herd or flock against Bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) must make sure this is reported to Defra. The ‘Battle Bluetongue’ campaign led by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Ruminant Health & Welfare (RH&W) is urging those considering vaccination to speak to their veterinarian about the best option for them.
As there is no treatment for the disease, BTV-3 continues to pose a significant threat to both cattle, sheep, goats and camelids, with potential impacts on animal health, productivity, and trade. Slowing the spread through vaccination and restricted movements in affected areas remains the best defence against the disease. Vaccination won’t prevent animals getting the disease but it has been shown to reduce clinical signs and mortality.
The industry campaign is encouraging livestock keepers to work through the new vaccine decision maker tool with their vet, farmers can understand their BTV-3 risk and then defend their stock by vaccinating the right animals.
You must report your use of bluetongue (BTV-3) vaccination as a condition of the licence - this can be done by completing this form within 48 hours of the date of vaccination.
Read more about the Battle Bluetongue campaign and the latest information on BTV-3.
Report sightings of dead wild birds on farmland to help tackle bird flu
Defra encourages farmers to report findings of dead wild birds on agricultural land.
Reports improve understanding of where bird flu is in Great Britain and in which types of wild bird. A more accurate disease surveillance picture helps the Animal & Plant Health Agency in its work to protect commercial poultry and other captive birds. Not all dead wild birds have been infected with bird flu.
If you’re a landowner or land manager, you must remove dead wild birds if they’re a risk to human health. You should also consider removing dead wild birds on a public right of way or an area people often visit.
If you decide to dispose of dead wild birds, you must dispose of them as a category 1 animal by-product if:
- they’re in an area where bird flu has been confirmed
- you think the birds could be infected with a disease such as bird flu
You can report dead wild birds in less than 5 minutes using the online reporting tool.
National Action Plan on pesticides sets out how the Government will work collaboratively with farmers
On 21 March, the Government published the UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP), setting out a future of more sustainable pesticide use, which protects the environment and human health, and boosts food production for the long-term – see the press release here.
This will support farmers, growers, and other land managers to manage pests sustainably, safeguarding crops and boosting productivity.
To find out more about the steps that the Government is taking to support the sustainable use of pesticides now and in the future, read the full plan here.
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