Farmers agree to set aside land for wildlife

Farmers will be issued with leaflets on how to better protect wildlife as part of plans to bring back the environmental benefits of set-aside.

By Louise Gray, Environment CorrespondentPublished: 7:00AM GMT 05 Nov 2009

Land set-aside for wildlife should encourage farmland birds like skylarks Photo: REUTERS
European subsides for farmland taken out of production or "set-aside" were scrapped in 2007.
However it immediately became apparent that the system was beneficial to wildlife, with farmland birds and animals thriving on fallow land.

Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, suggested bringing back a compulsory scheme that would pay farmers to set aside uncultivated land. But this met with outrage from farmers who argued that the land should be cultivated to produce food.
Now the Government, farmers and conservation groups have come to an uneasy compromise by introducing a voluntary set-aside scheme.
The Campaign for the Farmed Environment will see all farmers obliged to farm in a more environmentally friendly manner.
At the height of the European scheme set-aside resulted in around 8 per cent of agricultural land being left fallow. The voluntary scheme will aim to leave around 180,000 hectares of land uncropped as well as encouraging farmers to better manage farmed land for wildlife. For example by leaving stubble over the winter so birds can feed and leaving hedgerows between fields.
Farmers will also be asked to double the amount of land being especially cultivated for wildlife under new European environmental subsidies from 40,000 to 80,000 hectares. This will include land left fallow for skylarks, wild flowers planted by fields and "beetle banks" created to help insects.
The amount of land managed for the environment on a voluntary basis will be boosted by 30,000 acres.
Altogether the voluntary scheme should ensure the same environmental benefits gained from set-aside.
Leaflets are being sent to every farmer asking them to build ponds, plant trees and bring in other environmental measures.
Farmers with more than 10 hectares of land will also be surveyed in the New Year to ensure they are setting aside land for the environment.
If the targets are not met Mr Benn has threatened to bring in compulsory measures.
However he was confident farmers will sign up to the voluntary scheme.
"We want to encourage them to take voluntary action that best fits how they farm, so they can support wildlife and protect water quality while continuing to produce food in a sustainable way," he said.