Land with solar panels will not be eligible for BPS

Land parcels with solar panels on them will not be eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). This includes the land between, underneath and around the panels, even if it is being grazed, or is accessible for grazing.

This also means that farmers cannot count this land, or any features on it (such as buffer strips), as an Ecological Focus Area (EFA).

If the solar panels are concentrated in a single area within a land parcel (for example, a corner or one end), and the farmer wants to claim for payment on the rest of the land, they must fence off the panels. The 2 areas will then need to be mapped as separate land parcels. The land parcel containing the solar panels will not be eligible.