English farmers have been given a last chance to adopt greener practices that benefit wildlife and help to combat climate change or face deductions from their state hand-outs of cash.

The Government has set a tough new target which requires that the area of arable fields covered by environmental schemes should double within three years.

Every farmer has also been told that he or she should fund some environmental improvements on their land without any financial support from payments made under the Common Agriculture Policy.

In addition, Hilary Benn, the Rural Affairs Secretary, has made clear that he expects farmers to keep some land fallow to help to provide habitats for birds and small mammals such as voles and field mice.

Such action in the past qualified for “set aside” payments from the European Commission to prevent the creation of grain mountains. Last year the policy was scrapped in light of the worldwide shortage of grain.

Conservationists argued that it was important to safeguard the unintended consequence of the “set aside” policy that helped wildlife. Mr Benn has therefore stipulated that 179,000 hectares (442,000 acres) that were formerly left as set aside should remain uncropped and at least one third of this should be farmed to help wildlife.

If farmers fail to take up the plan, the alternative will be the prospect of payments being docked.

Jim Paice, the Conservative rural affairs spokesman, supported the approach in principle, though he believed that the targets should be based on populations of wildlife and plant life rather than area. Details of the plan are to be outlined today at the announcement of a new industry offensive, Campaign for the Farmed Environment.

The challenge is being directed at 41,000 arable farmers. It is estimated at least 70 per cent of these are involved in some type of countryside stewardship scheme. It is hoped that the 12,000 who are not will sign up to methods to help wildlife and climate change.

The new deal has been accepted by Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers’ Union, and Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, president of the Country Land and Business Association, who represent most farmers.

Mr Kendall said: “Many farmers do a lot of valuable work at their own expense. But we know, too, of the cynical minority who have never been involved in agri-environment schemes and it is our task to get them involved.”

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