Figures from the 2020 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applications show that the number of farms with between 10ha and 30ha of tillage crops and 30ha or more of tillage crops have increased in recent years.
In a normal year, farms would have to comply with crop diversification requirements. However, in 2020, many farmers received a derogation from this requirement due to the bad weather during the sowing season.
Crop diversification requirements under greening mean that farmers with 30ha of tillage crops or more must sow at least three crops.
Farmers with between 10ha and 30ha of tillage crops must plant at least two crops, while farmers with less than 10ha of tillage crops do not have to comply with crop diversification requirements.
Tillage on farms by area
According to the 2020 BPS figures, 3,110 farms had at least 30ha of tillage crops.
3,597 farms had between 10ha and 30ha of tillage crops.
Finally, 12,734 farms had less than 10ha of tillage crops. It should be noted that crops like wild bird cover and temporary grass (which was not planted after grass) are classified as tillage crops.
Figures from 2017 show that approximately 6,000 farmers adhered to the two and three-crop rule requirements in that year and so had at least 10ha of tillage crops.
This data shows that there has been an increase in the number of farmers with between 10ha and 30ha of tillage and at least 30ha of tillage since that time.