Calculate returns from ecological benefits
18 May 2022, UK: Arable growers can now quickly calculate the financial implications and potential gains from entering long-term environmental schemes for their individual farm.
The new Syngenta Operation Pollinator Margin Calculator assesses the return on investment from adopting environmental scheme payments, against the net crop margin forsaken on the headlands planted with Operation Pollinator seed mixtures.
The easy-to-use web tool includes the latest environmental scheme payment figures available to growers. It then allows farmers to input their individual crop rotations, yields they would budget to achieve on the headlands and their cost of production. Computing all the information, it will instantly assess the overall financial implication.
Introducing the web-based calculator tool for the UK, Syngenta Sustainable Farming Manager, Belinda Bailey, said: “The Operation Pollinator Margin Calculator enables farmers to work out what would be the best approach for their individual farm, alongside the practical agronomic and ecological gains that can be made under the current environmental schemes.
“With today’s volatility of crop values and input costs, it’s essential for farmers and agronomists to be able to look at different scenarios that may play out over the course of a full farm rotation,” she advised.
“Growers need to enter into long-term environmental scheme commitments with the full awareness of the business implications.”
The calculator can assess results over a one, three or five year rotation. Farmers select their payment band, under Pillar 1/BPS- 2022, followed by their cropping over the duration of the agreement. The calculator is pre-populated with standard industry costs, but essentially with the current situation all costs and yields can be tailored using a farm’s own figures.
Entering the Operation Pollinator seed mix that will be sown, the calculator will input seed and variable costs, along with associated Countryside Stewardship payments available for the mix areas.
“The free web site tool enables farmers to evaluate future scenarios if crop values were to fall back over then coming years, or if costs continued to escalate,” added Mrs Bailey.
“The ecological and agronomic gains from Operation Pollinator areas are well proven. Now farmers can quickly assess and evaluate the economic effects too.”
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