Government payments are being brought forward to help farmers with cashflow.

Direct Payments will be paid in two instalments each year for the remainder of the agricultural transition period.

The deadline for submitting Basic Payment Scheme 2022 applications is Monday, May 16.

Under these plans, farmers with eligible applications will receive the first payment of 50 per cent from the end of July and the second from December.

Farmers are facing rising costs for inputs including manufactured fertiliser, feed, fuel and energy.

By February the price of gas had quadrupled on the previous year, and with the instability caused by Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine that price has risen further.

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Output prices, particularly wheat, are also high and from analysis published by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) it is clear that farmers should continue to buy their inputs as usual.

Environment Secretary, George Eustice, said: “While increasing farm gate prices may mean that farm profitability remains stable, we recognise the short term pressures on cash flow.

“We have decided to bring forward half of this year’s BPS payment as an advance injection of cash to farm businesses from the end of this July.

"It will give farmers some additional cashflow earlier in order to provide some confidence.

"We will also make this a permanent change to the way we pay BPS in future with twice yearly instalments going forward."