Time is running out for farmers in the Uplands to take part in a Defra consultation on Less Favoured Area (LFA) designations, says farm business consultancy Strutt & Parker.

LFAs are to be replaced with Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) and farmers risk having their land incorrectly classified and potentially missing out on funding if they do not engage with the mapping consultation process by the time it closes on March 27th 2013.

The review, part of ongoing Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Reform negotiations, will see some areas lose their status and new areas come in.

Simon Britton, partner in Strutt & Parker’s Northallerton office, said: “This is the first change to LFA designations in 40 years and it is crucial that farmers engage with the process otherwise they may well find that land for which they previously received funding is no longer eligible. It will have a definite impact on upland areas from the Peak District through the Yorkshire Dales and Moors, the Lake District to the North Pennines.

“In these areas, farmers face challenging agricultural conditions with lower than average farm incomes. Their LFA designations affect the Single Farm Payments they receive and their eligibility for Upland Entry Level Stewardship schemes.”

“The consultation is about testing whether LFAs accurately reflect agricultural constraints but I am concerned that some areas will not receive adequate recognition. Farmers must not presume their land will remain the same. Defra estimates that around 12% of LFAs fall outside the new ANC designations.”

For further advice and information, please contact Mr Britton in Strutt & Parker’s Northallerton office on 01609 780306.