The RPA Podcast

Welcome to the tenth episode of The RPA Podcast. In our latest episode, we have a roundtable discussion with RPA’s senior customer leadership team: ‘Inside the RPA: Leadership and Vision’.  And in our second part, we bring you an interview with the Farming Advice Service (FAS) to give you more information on their new partnership with Catchment Sensitive Farming.RPA senior leaders Marie Hardeman, RPA’s Customer Director, Emily Edwards, Head of Customer Insight and Gareth Jones, Head of Customer Experience engage in a discussion about how they’re working to improve customer service and how listening to, and understanding customers, are the pillars for improving the customer journey and satisfaction.  In our second section, we speak with Laura Harpham from the Farming Advice Service (FAS) about their services and their new partnership with Catchment Sensitive Farming. The FAS is a national network of qualified, independent advisers under contract to Defra who provide free and confidential government advice to farmers and farming industry advisers. The Podcast is also an opportunity for RPA to engage with farmers and land managers, and we encourage you to reach out to us with suggestions of particular topics that you’d like us to cover with our subject experts. You can e-mail us at [email protected] us on social media for the latest updates and information on the following accounts:Follow us on X @ruralpaySign up for our blog at blog.gov.ukFacebook: facebook.com/RuralPaymentsAgencyYouTube: Rural Payments AgencyBy following and subscribing to our social channels and blog, you’ll be able to see the latest updates about important information. The RPA Podcast is an opportunity to engage with farmers and land managers in a new way, and we encourage you to reach out to us with suggestions of particular topics that you’d like us to cover with our subject experts. You can e-mail us at [email protected] us on social media for the latest updates and information on the following accounts. Follow us on Twitter @ruralpay Sign up for our blog at blog.gov.uk Facebook: facebook.com/RuralPaymentsAgency YouTube: Rural Payments Agency By following and subscribing to our social channels and blog, you’ll be able to see the latest updates about important information.

In today’s podcast, we discuss the opening of the claim window for existing Countryside Stewardship revenue and Environmental Stewardship agreements, delinked payments, RPA’s shows and events schedule and the new round of Farming Equipment and Technology Fund Grants. We also have an interview with Marie Hardeman, RPA’s Customer Director, who talks about her year into the role and improvements in Customer Services. Item 1:Gregg Bulman a Countryside Stewardship Processing manager, runs us through Opening of the claim window for existing Countryside Stewardship revenue and Environmental Stewardship agreements and delinked payments·  The claim window for existing Countryside Stewardship (CS) revenue and Environmental Stewardship (ES) agreements has opened on 14 March 2024. All farmers must submit a claim or annual declaration for CS and ES before 15 May to receive payment for works carried out through the schemes in 2024 without a reduction. The final deadline for submitting a claim with reduction is 2 September. In 2023 the RPA supplemented the existing online claim process for CS with a more straightforward annual declaration option in cases where no changes are required. This will still be available in the Rural Payments service for 2024, with farmers able to generate and submit an automated revenue claim without needing to complete each section of the claim form. Item 2: In our second section, we speak with Katie Yon from RPA’s shows and events team, about the range of shows and events the team will be visiting this year and what visitors to the RPA stand can expect.Please come and visit RPA at Agricultural Shows across the country.Item 3:In our third section, we speak to Caitlin Smith from RPA’s Grants Service team, who  talks to us about the new round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund.Grants for productivity and slurry management items are available now. The deadline to apply is midday 17 April 2024. Farmers, foresters, growers and contractors to those sectors can apply. You can apply for one grant from each of the 3 themes. The fund is competitive. Successful applicants will receive a grant of: a minimum of £1,000 and a maximum of £50,000 towards productivity itemsa minimum of £1,000 and a maximum of £50,000 towards slurry itemsa minimum of £1,000 and a maximum of £25,000 towards animal health and welfare itemsWe will pay a percentage of the cost depending on the item. For many items, this percentage is an increase on last year. This funding will go towards either: the average cost of the item – if an item costs you the same or more than the expected average cost in the item listthe actual cost you pay for the item – if an item costs you less than the expected average cost in the item listRead The RPA Podcast is an opportunity to engage with farmers and land managers in a new way, and we encourage you to reach out to us with suggestions of particular topics that you’d like us to cover with our subject experts. You can e-mail us at [email protected] us on social media for the latest updates and information on the following accounts. Follow us on Twitter @ruralpay Sign up for our blog at blog.gov.uk Facebook: facebook.com/RuralPaymentsAgency YouTube: Rural Payments Agency By following and subscribing to our social channels and blog, you’ll be able to see the latest updates about important information.

Item 1:·  Danielle Bragg, from the RPA Grants Service Team, runs us through all the grants available to farmers, under the Farming Investment Fund.·  The Farming Investment Fund offers funding for equipment, technology, and infrastructure that improves farm productivity and benefits the environment.  This fund provides grants to farmers, foresters, and growers so that they can invest in the things they need to improve productivity and enhance the natural environment.  ·  The Farming Investment Fund is made up of 2 parts; for smaller grants, there is the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) while larger grants are covered by the Farming Transformation Fund. We discuss the different options available under these grants and provide guidance on how and when to apply. Item 2: ·  In our second section, we speak with Jim Bubb, owner of Shropshire Petals Farm in Newport, about how the Improving Farm Productivity grant has made his business more efficient with the addition of droid robots and other ways in which this has benefitted his business.  Item 3:· In our last segment, we are joined by Rachael Dale, from RPA Geospatial Services, to discuss the launch of the new digital service, that allows you to edit your mapping information online.· The recently launched Rural Land Changes service allows customers to notify RPA of mapping changes online, streamlining this process. This digital option for farmers, which will replace the RLE1 form, will reduce the length of time to action submissions from customers. The Rural Land Changes is more convenient, faster, and easier.The RPA Podcast is an opportunity to engage with farmers and land managers in a new way, and we encourage you to reach out to us with suggestions of particular topics that you’d like us to cover with our subject experts. You can e-mail us at [email protected] us on social media for the latest updates and information on the following accounts. Follow us on Twitter @ruralpay Sign up for our blog at blog.gov.uk Facebook: facebook.com/RuralPaymentsAgency YouTube: Rural Payments Agency By following and subscribing to our social channels and blog, you’ll be able to see the latest updates about important information.

Welcome to the seventh episode of The RPA Podcast.In our latest episode, we dive into some of the questions and feedback we’ve received at the RPA from those applying to the 2023 offer of the Sustainable Farming Incentive. After opening to applications in August, we received a number of technical and general questions, both from farmers in the process of applying and those considering doing so. Speaking to our expert in the RPA Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) Delivery team, Stephen Veasey, we get the answers to the most frequently asked questions RPA has received. Stephen will be discussing the benefits of applying, looking into how the scheme has been created to allow all farmers to tailor to the needs of their land and actions that can be taken before applying, to streamline the application process. We will also discuss the number of accepted applications and offers in the pipeline. This figure was correct at time of recording but will increase over the coming weeks.  The RPA Podcast is an opportunity to engage with farmers and land managers in a new way, and we encourage you to reach out to us with suggestions of particular topics that you’d like us to cover with our subject experts. You can e-mail us at [email protected] us on social media for the latest updates and information on the following accounts. Follow us on Twitter @ruralpay Sign up for our blog at blog.gov.uk Facebook: facebook.com/RuralPaymentsAgency YouTube: Rural Payments Agency By following and subscribing to our social channels and blog, you’ll be able to see the latest updates about important information.