The land details available online (and on the pre-printed application forms) reflect the farmer’s position following the processing of the 2013 application. They include the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) review. If the changes are being appealed, use the smaller area and make a note of the appeal. If successful, the Department of Agriculture will use the higher area for your application.

Don’t assume the maps are correct. It is essential that your maps are closely examined and the Department is informed of any changes or amendments. The typical changes required would be for house sites sold, farmyard extensions or perhaps areas that have become overgrown and unusable for agricultural purposes in recent times.

While the maps differ greatly from farmer to farmer, there are headings common to all on the left-hand side of the map.

The first is the parcel number. This is an identifier for the parcel which, except in cases of commonage, is unique to a farmer in a particular year. The parcel number for a field can and does change. This change in number is normally linked to a boundary amendment in the parcel such as a house site sold off or an area of scrub mapped out of the parcel.

The digitised area is the total area within the parcel. The ref area, or reference area, is the eligible area for payment in the parcel as determined by the Department. It is the maximum area for payment at parcel level. The difference between the digitised and reference area is generally accounted for by the exclusions (red lines) that exist within the parcel for items such as scrub, rocks, roads etc. The particulars of these exclusions are also detailed on the map, with each being assigned an identifier such as “X01”, “X02” etc. Again, the collar of the map gives the details of these exclusions, including the total area (Area), the percentage reduction (Red%), the area eligible (Elig) within the exclusion and finally the exclusion type (Type).

There also may be cases where a reduction was made for ineligible features, such as rock and scrub, scattered across the parcel. For reductions of this nature, the map will display the heading “Manual Deduction”, along with the percentage and the reason for the reduction.

Once these maps have been reviewed, any changes or corrections that are required should be clearly marked as per the following example shown above right.

To map out (or digitise) ineligible areas, simply click on the radio button in the leftmost column of the parcel you want to change and click ‘Amend Parcel’ and click on ‘Edit Map’ on the next page.

This opens up an of the parcel selected, and allows you to draw, and accurately measure changes to the parcel e.g. mark out an ineligible are, notify the Department of an incorrect boundary etc.

When drawing a parcel or area, the Department forces a note to be entered, and you should ensure you clearly explain the action you are carrying out. These changes should be done by completing the ‘comments box’ on the online system for editing maps, indicating clearly the parcel(s) to be amended. You can use the PDF versions of the maps for reference, which are available in the ‘correspondence’ area.

Similarly, you can declare new plots or parcels and submit these maps electronically through the system.

There is a comprehensive guide on how to use this system, which can be found within the application by clicking link under the Tool Tips heading. Once your land details are correct, you can proceed with submitting your form and, once submitted, you will receive confirmation and access to your submitted form.

Online mapping

The introduction in 2012 of an online mapping element allowed farmers, or their agents, who needed to submit maps to the Department to do so through iNet. This cuts out the need to submit paper maps. More than 13,000 maps were submitted online last year. In the seven years since the Department introduced the online application facility for the Single Farm Payment, iNet, the number of applications submitted online has increased tenfold. More than 73,000 applications were submitted through iNet in 2013. The attraction for farmers (and their approved agents) to iNet included immediate confirmation of receipt by the Department and a reduction in the numbers of errors that could be made.