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Author Topic: DEFRA RPA Cross Compliance rules  (Read 1885 times)

Maysie

  • Joined Jan 2018
  • Herefordshire/Shropshire Border
DEFRA RPA Cross Compliance rules
« on: May 10, 2018, 02:52:02 pm »
We have just completed our application for the 2018 RPA on our grazing fields for the first time this year and I would appreciate a bit of guidance with a potential issue that I have come across. 

Our neighbour uses our fields from time to time for grazing his sheep in return for harrowing/topping the thistles and nettles. Because his sheep just wander through the gate between our two fields (ie ours and the neighbours) we have not worried about transfer of details on the CPH register, but I can see that may well be an issue with the Cross Compliance regs if the sheep were on our fields when (if) we were inspected and there were sheep here that weren't logged on our CPH number. 

Do I need to make sure that his sheep are either 'here' on our fields or 'there' when on his fields by closing the gate and keep the CPH records updated accordingly, or am I being too complicated about it all. 

My apologies if this is a daft question, it is just that we do not have any of our own livestock yet and the whole CPH issue is a complete unknown quantity to me at the moment.  I suspect our neighbour may also be a bit 'relaxed' about his paperwork too if I am being totally honest. 

TIA 

juliem

  • Joined Aug 2014
Re: DEFRA RPA Cross Compliance rules
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2018, 09:39:55 pm »
I had a visit a couple of years ago and was given a days notice..so likelihood of a visit is extremely unlikely I would have thought now the emphasize is on the grants for wildlife with the single farm payment to be slowly phased out.I always worried about a visit which spotted I had sprayed a few thistles and not having a weedkiller licence.
when this inspector did visit.he was not really interested in the livestock more  mapping.../drainage .I only have 5 hectares and had registered another field to get over the 5 so I suppose this had triggered the visit.

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: DEFRA RPA Cross Compliance rules
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2018, 02:33:47 pm »
Yes you would need to complete the necessary movement license and send it to ARAMS. I suspect your neighbour is being rather relaxed about it due to the fact technically each time his sheep come back onto his holding they trigger a 6 day movement standstill, likewise when they come onto your holding they trigger one too. It might be he can have a temporary land association I think if you don't have livestock but this would need paperwork to be officially set up. I'd get it sorted either way as if animal health/trading standards were to find out it could land both of you in a bit of bother...

Maysie

  • Joined Jan 2018
  • Herefordshire/Shropshire Border
Re: DEFRA RPA Cross Compliance rules
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2018, 02:42:19 pm »
Thank you for the replies. 

My neighbour is an 'old school' sheep farmer, so 'ahh, it'll be fine...' is his approach to things, but I do not want this to come back and bite me for trying to be helpful whilst being naive. 

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: DEFRA RPA Cross Compliance rules
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2018, 05:50:01 pm »
The other issue with letting his sheep range onto your land is they will bring any wormer resistance and disease with them. Something to think about if you want to keep sheep for yourself in the future, your land could already have resistant worms which is a serious problem to sheep farming at the moment, especially if he is old school and routinely worms his sheep  :yuck:

Black Sheep

  • Joined Sep 2015
  • Briercliffe
    • Monk Hall Farm
Re: DEFRA RPA Cross Compliance rules
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2018, 12:37:44 pm »
Our neighbour uses our fields from time to time for grazing his sheep in return for harrowing/topping the thistles and nettles. Because his sheep just wander through the gate between our two fields (ie ours and the neighbours) we have not worried about transfer of details on the CPH register, but I can see that may well be an issue with the Cross Compliance regs if the sheep were on our fields when (if) we were inspected and there were sheep here that weren't logged on our CPH number. 

Is he not covered by this?:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sheep-and-goat-keepers-how-to-report-animal-movements

"You don’t need to tell ARAMS if the movement is to or from:

land bordering your holding with a different CPH number, where you send or receive animals from frequently, on foot and without contact with other livestock (find out how to record these moves in a holding register)"

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sheep-and-goat-keepers-how-to-keep-a-holding-register

"Frequent moves to or from neighbouring holdings or fields
If you move animals to an adjacent or nearby holding that doesn’t share your CPH there are fewer recording requirements, as long as the move meets all of the following conditions:

it’s frequent
it’s by foot
there is no contact with other livestock

Examples of such moves are regular moves to allow animals to graze in:

a neighbour’s field that shares a gate with yours
a field across a road

For these moves, you must use a ‘standing entry’ in the off-on movements section of your holding register to record:

that such a move takes place
the frequency of the move
the CPH numbers of the land the animals are moved from and to
You don’t need to record how many or which animals are moved."

Seems to suggest the record keeping is for the owner to make in their register only.

Maysie

  • Joined Jan 2018
  • Herefordshire/Shropshire Border
Re: DEFRA RPA Cross Compliance rules
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2018, 01:45:34 pm »
I should have just called DEFRA, as they have sorted me out.  They were very helpful. 

As we do not have any of our own livestock at present, our Field Number can just be added to my neighbours CPH number and that is it sorted. 

Good to know. 

 

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