Earlier this year, a member ran into difficulties when extracting timber across farmland (with permission) because of cross-compliance. It took some time to get answers. David Gardner, adviser on cross-compliance for the Momenta Consortium, deliveringthe programme on behalf of Defra, outlines what is required from woodland owners and managers. On 01 January 2005, the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) was introduced in England. The previous subsidy-based system has been superseded and there is now no linkbetween production and financial support Instead, land managers are receiving a payment based on a combination of their histoiically-based subsidy payments and a new regionally-based payment. In order to receive their full payment, land managers must comply with a series of requirements relating to keeping the land in 'good agricultural and environmental condition' and other requirements (statutory management requiiements) covering the environment, public and plant health, animal health and welfare, livestock identification and tracing. Many of these reinfoice an existing combination of current legal requirements and good farming practice. These new conditions are called cross-compliance.
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