A Defra Farming Blog post this week announced that farmers and land managers can now submit an expression of interest (EOI) for two new single-focus agreements under Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). The new single-focus agreements cover:
- traditional orchards
- wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl
This is in addition to existing Single Focus Actions covering species rich grassland and management of ancient monuments.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH HIGHER TIER AND HLS?
In the same Blog post, Defra said it is continuing to expand access to CSHT, including rolling out the full offer to more farmers and that work also continues to ensure those with expiring HLS agreements are able to continue to access funding. They will “provide an update before those agreements expire to ensure those farmers have the clarity they need to plan for the future.”
