Arable Offer: what you need to know
Updated 1 September 2018
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arable-offer-countryside-stewardship/arable-offer-what-you-need-to-know
The Arable Offer closed for applications on 31 August 2018.
The Offer contains Countryside Stewardship options that help pollinators, farmland birds and other wildlife thrive on arable farms throughout the year.
Benefits
The benefits are:
- improved nectar sources for insect pollinators and foraging for birds
- additional winter food sources for seed-eating birds
- improved habitats and other resources for specific species or areas
- options relevant to arable farming
- a range of options so you can pick those most relevant to your farm and local priorities
Eligibility
To be eligible:
- your land must be registered on the Rural Payments Service to the Single Business Identifier (SBI) submitting the application
- your land must be registered as arable or temporary grassland (you can include permanent grassland, but only hedgerow options can be located on those parcels)
- your chosen options must cover at least 3% of your land – 3 hectares (ha) in every 100ha
- you must have full management control of the land for 5 years
- you must meet any minimum requirement for each category
You’re not eligible to apply if your SBI has land:
- in an Environmental Stewardship agreement that ends after 1 January 2019
- subject to an Inheritance Tax exemption agreement with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- has a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or Scheduled Monument
You cannot overlap options in this Offer with Ecological Focus Area (EFA) land where there’s double funding.
You’re limited to one application for each SBI you have for this round of Wildlife Offers.
Options and categories
The 11 options are divided into 3 categories. You must pick at least one option from each category and then choose as many options as you wish.
The minimum number of options in the 5 year agreement is therefore 3. You can select as many options as you wish, but must enter a minimum of 3% of your land into the Offer.
Category 1. Nectar and pollen sources for insect pollinators and insect-rich foraging for birds (select at least one, minimum 1% or 1 ha per 100 ha of farmed land included in the agreement, no maximum)
| Option | Option title | Payment rate |
|---|---|---|
| AB1 | Nectar flower mix | £511 |
| AB8 | Flower-rich margins and plots | £539 |
Category 2. Winter food for seed-eating birds (applicants MUST select this option, minimum 2% or 2 ha per 100 ha farmed land included in the agreement, no maximum)
| Option | Option title | Payment rate |
|---|---|---|
| AB9 | Winter bird food | £640 |
Category 3. Additional resources and habitats (select at least one, no minimum or maximum, apart from individual option requirements)
| Option | Option title | Payment rate |
|---|---|---|
| AB4 | Skylark plots | £18 (£9 per plot, min. 2 plots per ha) |
| AB5 | Nesting plots for lapwing and stone curlew | £524 |
| AB6 | Enhanced overwinter stubble | £436 |
| AB11 | Cultivated areas for arable plants | £532 |
| AB12 | Supplementary winter feeding for farmland birds | £632 per tonne for every 2 ha of AB9 |
| SW1 | 4m to 6m buffer strip on cultivated land | £353 |
| WT2 | Buffering in-field ponds and ditches on arable land | £501 |
| BE3 | Management of hedgerows | £8/100m |
Further information
See the Arable Offer: option descriptions and prescriptions document for detailed information about the Offer’s options and categories.