The most obvious change for tillage farmers in the CAP proposals is the 25% rotational crops requirement under eco schemes has been reduced to 20%.
The proposed crop options still exclude crops such as beet, potatoes and maize.
However, the 20% option still lacks consideration for the practical implication of varying field sizes in rotational practice.
As growers practising rotation will be doing this every year, the option to have a minimum of 20% on average over two to three years would be much more practical. While oats can also sit beside beans, driving people into oats to fulfil this requirement would only act to disrupt its market balance.
Other items include a 3m buffer of no plough or cultivation beside watercourses.
Previously this was 2m. There are also intricate rules around bare land, slopes and the destruction of vegetation.
The two- and three-crop rules still apply but single crop producers will have the option to use a rotation with cover crops.
SHARING OPTIONS