Andrew Moir, NFU Scotland’s combinable crops chairman, has reacted with undisguised fury at the Scottish Government’s decision to impose stringent management restrictions on growers hoping to grow nitrogen-fixing crops as part of their Environmental Focus Area (EFA) obligations.
These obligations will initially see 5% of every farm having to be managed according to the greening rules imposed by the latest CAP, and many farmers had planned to grow nitrogen-fixing crops including vining peas and beans as part of their cropping plans.
South of the Border, growers have known for some time they can grow nitrogen-fixing crops to meet their EFA with no management restrictions attached other than meeting GAEC (Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions) requirements.
However, yesterday’s announcement from the Scottish Government requires two different nitrogen-fixing crop species in each EFA field.
To make matters worse, those crops can only be harvested after August 1 each year, and each area must have a field margin around it.
Mr Moir said: “Richard Lochhead (Rural Affairs Secretary) has completely lost the plot. This is the guy who keeps saying he only wants to help Scottish farmers, but he has made a complete mess of this.
“He went so far out of his way to help the sheep and beef sectors in his CAP reform, and now he has introduced rules which have taken away any incentive for arable farmers to grow pollen-producing crops.
“These proposals are unworkable and have been dreamed up by someone with no idea of the economics of farming. This is not the EU’s fault it is all to do with Richard Lochhead’s implementation of the rules.”
Andrew Gilchrist, managing director of Scottish Agronomy, was of the same view, saying: “This makes it impossible for growers to grow commercial protein crops as part of their EFA requirements.
“This means we are disadvantaged compared with south of the border.
“The weightings are also strange. Why would nitrogen-fixing crop options be rated lower than fallow?”
The weightings mean that although one hectare of fallow will equate to one hectare of EFA, a hectare of nitrogen-fixing crop will only count for 0.7 hectares of EFA despite its extra environmental benefits.
Mr Lochhead said: “The new CAP will be greener, and we are all signed up to that. Indeed, it was a European condition of this CAP budget.
“EU regulations and how we implement them in Scotland add complexity, which is why we must strike a balance between greening the CAP and giving farmers options and flexibility.
“In June, following extensive consultation with farming and environmental organisations, I announced that nitrogen-fixing crops would count as EFA subject to management conditions that will benefit biodiversity whilst being compatible with crop production.
“Since that announcement there have been continued discussions with industry and environmental representatives about the management conditions that would apply if farmers choose this option to meet their greening requirements.”
It seems very clear that the environmental lobby carried the day with Mr Lochhead, however although a spokesperson pointed out that the weighting of 0.7 was mandatory from the EU.
NFUS president Nigel Miller said: “EFA requirements were always going to pose a challenge for Scotland’s productive arable sector, but compliance also flows on to many livestock and dairy units where arable crops and temporary grass are grown and things like wholecrop form part of the feeding regime.
“The EU agreement last year allowed member states and regions to have some flexibility in deciding which EFA options were most appropriate and that these could be designed to be viable for most parts.
“Europe recognised the value of nitrogen-fixing crops, not only in supporting pollinators but in minimising the use of artificial fertilisers, improving soil structure, benefiting water quality and providing a source of home-grown protein.
“Weighting and conversion factors were also built in by Europe to incentivise best practice and also simplify administration.
“The Scottish Government has now walked away from these smart greening devices that would have fitted with farming in the real world.”