The Government’s Rural Payments Agency has published the Basic Payment Scheme entitlement rates, the sums it will pay to farmers this year.
For 2022, BPS payment rates for England are set in Sterling. These are the same rates as for 2021 and were used to calculate the BPS 2022 advances issued earlier this year.
The Basic Payment Scheme is a rural payment that provides financial help to the farming industry. From this year, BPS payments are going to be made in two instalments each year for the remainder of the agricultural transition period to help farmers with their cashflow. Around 50% of the overall payment amounting to over £679m was issued in the summer, with the remaining balance expected to land in farmers’ bank accounts from December.
Depending on the region and type of land, the payments could be as high as £233 or as low as £64 per hectare.
There is also a package of ongoing and one-off payments for farmers, such as the new Sustainable Farming Incentive introduced under the Agricultural Transition Plan. These are open to farmers who claim BPS only, or those who claim BPS but have land in Countryside Stewardship or Environmental Stewardship.
Under 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.
Farmers are also reminded to beware of fraud as fraudsters may target farmers who receive subsidy payments.
