Written question asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 16 March 2016, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 1 April 2016. It was answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Conservative) on Wednesday, 30 March 2016 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Agriculture: Forestry

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the only current option for English farmers who wish to plant trees with CAP support is to have forestry as a separate enterprise on their holding, with densities of around 400 trees per hectare, rather than integrate the trees into their arable or livestock areas in a less dense planting.

Answer: English farmers can plant trees with Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) support either to create woodland habitat under the forestry measure of the Rural Development Regulation or to deliver a range of benefits such as landscape or the provision of nesting and habitat for farm wildlife under its agri-environment measure. Both these measures are available to farmers and other land managers as part of the Countryside Stewardship scheme. Tree-planting options do not require a minimum density (or number) of trees to be planted except when used to create new woodland.

Secondary information