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Join the team - job opportunity at AKC

November 2021

Administrator and Bookkeeper

Due to retirement, we are looking for a proactive team member to assist with office administration duties and bookkeeping.

The role will be office based and include answering the telephone, responding to emails, managing general day to day office administrative functions plus carrying out bookkeeping remotely for a range of farming and rural clients. The bookkeeping will include entering sales and purchase invoices, reconciling the bank, submitting VAT returns and running monthly/quarterly reports.

We are looking for someone…

Grant opportunities to improve productivity, animal health & welfare, water use and sustainable woodlands

Farming Equipment & Technology Fund

November 2021

Details of the new Farming Equipment and Technology have been released and are outlined as follows:

Applications to be submitted by 7th January 2022

Applications will be checked and scored prior to grant funding agreement (GFA) offers are made. You will not automatically get a grant. The grant is expected to be highly competitive, and you are competing against all applications received and scored against the same criteria.

Minimum grant £2,000

Maximum grant £25,000

Once…

Results of a recent National Audit review of Defra and Environmental Land Management Scheme review have been published:

The Environmental Land Management Scheme National Audit Review Findings

September 2021

Results of a recent National Audit review of Defra and Environmental Land Management Scheme review have been published: Facts already known about ELMS:

ELMS will be delivered through three components:

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): open to all farmers with payment for actions to manage land in an environmentally sustainable way Local Nature Recovery: payment for more complex actions delivering benefit at a local level and aims to encourage collaboration between farms Landscape… Read More

Expansion of the Catchment Sensitive Farming programme

Catchment Sensitive Farming advice now available to all farms in England

August 2021

The government have announced an expansion of the popular Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) programme to cover every farm in England.

The programme – which is a partnership between Defra, Natural England and the Environment Agency can provide free 1-2-1 advice to farmers to help them reduce water and air pollution through management of farmyard manure and soils among other things.

In recent years it has reduced the number of serious water pollution incidents by almost a fifth, and helped farmers access £100m in grants to help protect the environment.

The funding for the programme will now be almost doubled, with an additional £17m over the next three years. The new annual budget will…

Details of grant scheme if farming in a designated protected landscape

Farming In Protected Landscapes Programme

July 2021

The scheme is open to all Farmers and Land Managers within an AONB, National Park or Broads. Also, it may be available to Farmers and Land Managers outside the Protected Landscape Areas if they can meet priority areas described below.

The key areas for the programme are;

Climate Nature People Paces… Read More

BPS delinking and lump sum payment update

Basic Payment Scheme - Lump sum payment & exit plus delinking

May 2021

A consultation has been released on the governments proposals for delinking the basic payment scheme and also for taking a lump sum and exiting out of the industry.

If you would like to provide views on the proposals complete the survey here

In summary: Delinking

Direct payments phased out 2021 – 2027

Delink from 2024. After this payments based on a reference period for 2024 - 2027. Reference period likely to be 2018 – 2020.

Progressive reductions will be made to this reference amount. There…

What is currently on offer to support Woodland Creation?

Considerations for woodland planting

February 2021

Are you thinking about planting some new woodland?

We outline some aspects for consideration and the options currently available here:

What size of woodland will you create? For an area greater than 3 hectares but less than 10 hectares:

Woodland grants within Countryside Stewardship can offer one off grants to support the preparation of a Woodland Management Plan and planting.

1. Apply for a Woodland Management Planning grant.

This will provide a flat rate payment of £1,000 towards the cost of preparing a 10 year woodland management plan which meets UK Forestry Standards. This plan will help…

Agricultural Policy Plans for England update

Insight to agricultural policy - what we currently know

October 2020

Direct payment (BPS) transition Payment deductions start 2021

Known deduction rate for 2021

No detail on how the payment deductions will be set between 2022 and 2027 (assume flat rate)

No payments from 2028 (final payment 2027)

Delinking of payments

Potentially delinked in 2022

…

Chancellor announces £1000 job retention bonus

Introduction of Job Retention Bonus

July 2020

Today the Chancellor announced the introduction of the Job Retention Bonus

This is a one-off payment of £1,000 to employers that have used the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) for each furloughed employee who remains continuously employed until 31‌‌‌ ‌January 2021. The bonus will provide additional support to retain employees.

To be eligible, employees will need to:

earn at least £520 per month (above the Lower Earnings Limit) on average for November… Read More

Summer Update

June 2020

Key Dates & Environmental Schemes: Basic Payment Scheme Dates: EFA Fallow retain until 30th June Catch Crops establish by 20th August and retain until 14th October Cover Crops establish by 1st Oct and retain until 15th January Countryside Stewardship:

Mid -Tier…

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