FARMERS are passionate about the countryside. That is the main reason why most of them farm – it is a lifestyle thing, and seldom just about finances.

Thus it is sad to read the Government’s latest statistics on farmland bird populations.

Although numbers of wild birds have remained broadly stable over the past 40 years, with increases in species such as pigeon and jackdaw offsetting reductions in others such as yellow wagtail, the population of “farmland” birds has halved over that period.

Reductions have been especially marked among tree sparrows, corn bunting, turtle doves and grey partridge. Pleasingly, numbers of goldfinch and stock dove are however recovering.

What should we be doing to address the problem?

All farmers should consider whether they are making the most of opportunities under Environmental Stewardship Schemes.

Each farm is eligible for Entry Level Stewardship and its guaranteed payments of £30/ha in exchange for a range of options.

Yet only just over half the farmland in England has signed up to ELS, which is both financially and morally strange.

Far greater benefit can be obtained under Higher Level Stewardship. Modulation – the mechanism by which funding is redirected from Single Payment to Environmental Schemes – has increased dramatically over the last two years.

There is now much more funding available to Natural England who is are keen to support appropriate applications for new HLS Schemes.

The funds are primarily targeted towards 110 new target areas, but even outside those areas a carefully designed scheme will be considered.

A farmer now only needs to satisfy one conservation activity from a list specific to that area – different to a year ago when farmers had to tick as many boxes as possible and compete against other applications.

Any farmer who is vaguely interested in such a scheme should act soon, before the substantial funds now available are allocated.

Land in an existing Countryside Stewardship Scheme or Environmentally Sensitive Area agreement, has potential to convert to HLS before the next termination date.

It will frequently provide additional financial benefit to the farmer and will allow him to lock in to a further 10 years of guaranteed income.

Such a conversion will be of most interest to farmers with relatively simple CSS agreements which have only a year or two left to run, or for those contemplating substantial capital projects which would be eligible for capital grants.

Environmental Stewardship encourages the creation of grassy field margins, wildflower areas, hedgerow restoration and overwintered stubbles.

It has already contributed to the recovery of stone curlew, bittern, twite, cirl bunting and chough numbers on managed land.