The following article has just been shared on the DEFRA website, and may be of interest to some of our farming clients:
The England Woodland Creation Offer is one of a number of ongoing payments that can support farmers to manage their land in an environmentally sustainable way while continuing to produce food.
Farmers and land managers were today urged to continue to apply for a share of £25 million in funding to support woodland creation and tree planting.
You could receive a one-off payment of £8,500 per hectare followed by annual maintenance payments of £300 per hectare for 10 years. Higher payment rates are also available which offers thousands more for schemes that provide additional public benefits.
Well-designed and managed woodlands can support the foundations of food production. Woodlands on farms can boost productivity through healthy soil and water. They do this by reducing erosion and nutrient loss from surface run-off whilst improving drought and flood resilience. Woodlands also support biodiverse ecosystems through habitat creation, and can benefit animal welfare by providing shelter in adverse weather and provide additional fodder for livestock, as well as diversification opportunities through firewood and timber. The future design of Local Nature Recovery and the approach to payment rates for planting trees will largely mirror those currently within the England Woodland Creation Offer – meaning there is no reason to delay tree planting. Find out more about how trees can benefit your farm business and read our recent blog for further information.
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