A SERIES of meetings on the new Single Farm Payment scheme attracted a huge turnout last week.

More than 500 of the 600 farmers invited attended the three venues, organised by W E Jameson & Son, the Masham animal feed manufacturers and featuring Neil Pickard, head of ADAS farming.

"The last time I saw this sort of response was in 1992 and the introduction of IACS," said Mr Pickard. "It really does show that this is the next big change in agriculture and something we all need to get our heads round."

In welcoming farmers, Graham Jameson said the effects of the reforms on farm businesses would affect the shape of Jameson's own business, which had remained in family ownership for 75 years.

"We are not here for the short term, but look at a long-term involvement with an industry we care about," he said. "We are proud of letting your farming policies shape the way we shape our business, and allow our business to move in line with your changing farming methods."

Mr Pickard, who lives in Masham where his father had a 42-acre tenanted farm, is in overall charge of ADAS' nine farms. These cover 4,042ha and include 2,900ha of forage; 1,000 cattle and 7,000 breeding sheep,plus deer, pigs and poultry.

"They are all farmed as one unit and it is my job to make sure we get over the same hurdles that you do," said Mr Pickard.

ADAS was privatised in 1997 and operates its farms as a tenant of Defra. It still does contract work for that ministry, along with others such as local authorities, regional development agencies, levy bodies, utilities and corporate bodies. It has an annual turnover of £490m and employs 700 staff.

Mr Pickard said there were still areas of the new scheme which were not clear. It was intended to last until 2012, although it was likely to be reviewed in 2008-9.

"Sceptics say the money will run out by then, and it may well do with new states joining the EU," he said.

He reminded farmers that the three regional payments quoted in England were only estimates. They were £200 a hectare for lowland and non-severely disadvantaged areas; £120/ha for severely disadvantaged areas, and £30/ha for moorland.

"The sums are only an indication," said Mr Pickard. "They will not know what the rate is going to be until November or December this year." He personally thought the lowland/non-SDA figure might be lower.

The payments would be based on the euro exchange rate, which in itself would have an impact, and 3-5pc would be taken off to pay for the national reserve, with a further 3pc for EU modulation.

The exact payments would not be known until all claims had been submitted and Defra knew how the pot had to be shared out.

On arable matters, Mr Pickard said energy crops would attract £30/ha, but not if they were on set-aside land where most people had grown them in the past.

He also said orchards which had been grazed and entered on IACS forms would probably continue to receive payment, but commercial orchards, which ADAS owns, would not receive anything.

Woodlands were still a grey issue.

In the dairy sector, a court challenge had been mounted to proposed changes but, if producers won, it would mean less money to share among beef and sheep producers.

Mr Pickard believed cattle and sheep producers, who had already coped with cattle passports and double tagging, should cope with new regulations and cross-compliance.

He expected inspectors to target larger farms and those which had been in trouble in the past. "If you keep yourself clean and do everything right, you will probably get fewer visits," said Mr Pickard, who believed many of the environmental and cross-compliance conditions were common sense.

The SFP would allow producers to consider the size and profitability of each aspect of their farm. Any part struggling and not making money could be dropped, as the farmer would still receive the new payment.