Farmers will see a boost in their basic payments this year after farming minister George Eustice increased entitlement values and greening rates.
Coupled with the favourable BPS exchange rate confirmed in September, basic payments will be worth 25% more on average this year, compared to 2015.
The 2017 rates will be: Non-SDA (Severely Disadvantaged Areas): £230.97/ha (£93.47/acre), Upland SDA, other than moorland: £228.88/ha (£92.62/acre) and Upland SDA moorland: £63.48/ha (£25.69/acre)
Farming Minister, George Eustice said: "Exchange rate changes since the decision to leave the EU have led to a recovery in many farming sectors and BPS payments this year will be 25% higher than in 2015."
The RPA published the higher BPS rates online on Friday afternoon (17 November). Payments under this year’s BPS will be hitting bank accounts from 1 December.
Under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), farmers need to hold an entitlement for every hectare of eligible land they are claiming on. The size of farmers’ payments will depend on how many entitlements they use, supported by eligible land and the value of those entitlements.
The greening part of payments will be calculated by taking the number of entitlements that they have used with eligible land to claim payment and multiplying it by the greening value.
The Rural Payments Agency has produced a website to help farmers prepare for BPS 2018.
