Rural Payments and Services

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The aim of this option is to benefit corncrake by supporting the extensive management of hay and silage fields.

Delaying mowing will reduce the risk of causing damage from field operations to the birds, their eggs and fledglings.

Leaving an area uncut will also provide cover for the birds.

Only mowable grassland is eligible.

You should not include areas of land covering rocks, scree, water, dense bracken etc. We will check this using the same approach we use to check land for the Basic Payment Scheme.

Assessing your land eligibility

Unless you receive prior approval to use an alternative location as part of the application process, the land must be immediately adjacent to an area entered into one of the following options:

• Management of Cover for Corncrakes
• Corncrake Grazing Management

You can check if this option is available on your holding here.

You must identify on a map the locations of the area to be managed.

This option can be moved around the farm within the normal rotation and on an annual basis.

To maximise flexibility you can manage a different total hectarage each year as long the area you manage each year is at least 90 per cent of the area you plan to manage in the first year under this option.

• do not roll, harrow or graze the land from 15 May until after mowing.
• the area must be mown each year, but not before one of the dates below:
  - 1 August (mowing payment 1)
  - 15 August (mowing payment 2)
  - 1 September (mowing payment 3)
• hay or silage must be cut in a wildlife-friendly manner
• after mowing, you must remove the crop
• a strip of grass at least two metres wide around the field boundary must be left uncut. Where the field is less than 40 metres wide this strip may be provided on one long side of the field
• this uncut strip must be grazed down before the next exclusion period
• do not spray, except for the spot-treatment of injurious weeds (requires prior written notification) or treatment of invasive species (requires prior written approval)
• you must maintain a diary

You can claim:

• £272.87 per hectare per year for mowing payment 1
• £328.81 per hectare per year for mowing payment 2
• £460.35 per hectare per year for mowing payment 3

You will only be paid for the area that you declare and manage annually.

The inspectors will check:

• you have not rolled, harrowed or grazed the land from 15 May until after mowing.
• the area has been mown each year, but not before one of the dates below:
  - 1 August (mowing payment 1)
  - 15 August (mowing payment 2)
  - 1 September (mowing payment 3)
• hay or silage has been cut in a wildlife-friendly manner
• after mowing, you have removed the crop
• strip of grass at least two metres wide around the field boundary has been left uncut. Where the field is less than 40 metres wide this strip may be provided on one long side of the field
• this uncut strip has been grazed down before the next exclusion period
• you have not sprayed, unless with prior written notification or approval as appropriate
• you have maintained a diary

Supporting guidance is available for this option.

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