The Department of Agriculture and the Government’s goal is to increase tillage area, but they seem to be making many things very awkward for tillage farmers and making it difficult for different sectors to work together.
The new rule around creating a grass buffer around catch crops for grazing is extremely awkward and will not do anything to help integration between sectors which is what should be happening.
At present, the rules require a grass buffer of 3m around the field, so expensive grass would need to be planted in order for a catch crop to be grazed over a short period of time in the tillage field.
Furthermore, the 3m uncultivated buffer in place beside a watercourse would have to be extended to 4m.
If this is also to be in grass another 1m would need to be planted. As well as this, the grass buffer would not be well established at the time of planting. A fast-growing cover crop is more likely to provide a better buffer zone for catching soil and nutrients.
Surely these buffers could be planted with a catch crop and fenced. It is unclear why a 3m buffer is needed beside the hedgerows. This isn’t needed in a grass field when livestock are grazing. The rules are offputting for tillage farmers to plant these crops for grazing animals, yet that is exactly what is needed to create a more sustainable agricultural sector.
Making it easier for tillage and livestock farmers to work together could free up land that is in such demand and it could help to improve water quality and reduce slurry storage requirements.
Common sense is needed on these rules.
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