OFM6: Organic land management – top fruit
What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.
This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£1,920 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that orchards which produce top fruit and permanent bush crops are maintained under organic management:
- The purpose of this is to:
- improve soil health
- increase biodiversity
- improve water quality
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on land located below the moorland line that’s:
- registered as ‘fully organic’ by a Defra-licensed organic control body
- used to produce top fruit (such as apples, pears and plums) or bush fruit crops (such as gooseberries and redcurrants)
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
You must not enter orchards into this action if they’re:
- used to produce alcoholic drinks
- not in commercial production
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent horticultural crops | Permanent crops | TC01 |
Eligibility of protected land
| Land or features with protection | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) | Eligible – you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 5.5 ‘Land that’s a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)’) |
| Historic and archaeological features | Eligible – you must get a HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’) |
Available area you can enter into this action
Total available area in a land parcel.
Rotational or static action
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
What to do
You must:
- comply with the organic standards required by your Defra-licensed organic control body on land entered into this action
- protect the trees from grazing livestock and pests, such as deer and rabbits, to prevent serious damage
- manage weeds and vegetation around the base of establishing trees
When to do it
You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.
How to do it
You must do this action in a way that meets the required organic standards.
Evidence to keep
You must keep a valid organic certificate and schedule for all land entered into this action – this must cover at least the full period of this action’s duration.
You must also keep other evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
- field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
- copies of sales receipts for fruit crops
- photographs and other documentation
You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action
You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action. Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read ‘What to do’ and ‘When to do it’ to find out when this action must be done.
| Scheme | Action or option codes |
|---|---|
| SFI 2024 actions | AHW1, PRF1, PRF2, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIPM1, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CNUM3, CSAM1 |
| SFI 2023 actions | AHL1, AHL2, AHL3, AHL4, IPM1, IPM2, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, NUM3, SAM1 |
| CS options | AB8, AB16, BE4, BE5 |
| ES options | No ES revenue options |
| SFI pilot standards | No area-based SFI pilot standards |
If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6 ‘Eligible land in other funding schemes’ for more information.
You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
- the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard