The Rural Payments Agency has confirmed the 2021 rates for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) which sees rates increase by a few pence.
The 2021 payment rates are as follows:
- Non-SA £233.30/ha;
- SDA £231.60/ha;
- Moorland £64.00/ha.
How the common land part of the BPS payment is calculated.
The common has to have an eligible area of 300ha and grazing rights being claimed under BPS for 200 sheep and 70 cattle
The RPA must calculate the livestock unit (LU) value of all the rights being claimed for the common.
Each sheep is equivalent to 0.15 LU, so the calculation for the sheep grazing rights being claimed is: 200 sheep x 0.15 LU = 30 LU.
Each adult cow is 1 LU, so the calculation for the cattle grazing rights being claimed is: 70 cattle x 1 LU = 70 LU.
The total LU being claimed for the common is therefore: 30 LU + 70 LU = 100 LU.
The area to be allocated for each LU claimed for the common is calculated as: 300ha / 100 LU = 3.0ha/LU
If the farmer declared 40 LU of rights to activate entitlements on their BPS 2018 application, they would be allocated 3.0ha/LU x 40 LU = 120ha of the total eligible area of the common.
This area will be used to activate entitlements in the same way as any other land declared by the farmer on their application.
The above examples are based on a single common and do not take account of any split rights.
