Rural Payments and Services

The aim of this item is to benefit farmland birds.

Blocks or strips of seed bearing crop mixtures grown under low-input management will support arable plants and provide grubs and insects for farmland birds during the summer. Then, during the winter and into spring the crop will provide both seed and cover for birds.

Land that is not rough grazing is eligible.

You should not include areas of land covering rocks, scree, water, dense bracken etc. We will check this using the same approach we use to check land for the Basic Payment Scheme.

Assessing your land eligibility

You must combine this item with the Wild Bird Seed for Farmland Birds option.

You must identify on a map the locations of any areas to be created each year.

This option can be moved around the farm within the normal rotation and on an annual basis.

To maximise flexibility you can create a different total hectarage each year as long the area you create each year is at least 90 per cent of the area you plan to manage in the first year under this option.

• you must establish a crop using a seed mixture which must include at least three small seed-bearing crops to include both a cereal and an oil-rich crop (e.g. oats, triticale, barley, quinoa, linseed, millet, mustard, fodder radish)
• the blocks or strips must be at least six metres wide
• do not spray, except for the spot-treatment of injurious weeds (requires prior written notification) or treatment of invasive species (requires prior written approval)
• you must maintain a diary

You can claim £232.24 per hectare of wild bird seed created, subject to the following maximum claims:

• five hectares per year per location code unit of up to 250 hectares
• ten hectares per year per location code unit of greater than 250 hectares

You can claim for up to two hectares per block or strip per contract.

You will need to make a claim each year for this payment.

The inspectors will check:

• you have established a crop using a seed mixture which must include at least three small seed-bearing crops to include both a cereal and an oil-rich crop (e.g. oats, triticale, barley, quinoa, linseed, millet, mustard, fodder radish). There may be an invoice check
• the blocks or strips must be at least six metres wide
• you have not sprayed, unless with prior written notification or approval as appropriate
• you have maintained a diary