All existing single farm payment entitlements were scrapped in NI at the end of 2014 and new entitlements to claim the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and the Greening payment will be established by farmers later this year.

The process will be completed as normal via the single application form (SAF) – each eligible hectare claimed on the form will correspond to a new entitlement.

With a flat rate payment estimated at €329/ha by 2021, the decisions taken by farmers this year will dictate subsidy payments for a number of years to come.

Farmers who use DARD’s online services will be able to access and complete their 2015 SAF online from 18 March 2015.

Nearly 40% of forms were completed online last year and DARD is again keen to get as many farmers as possible to use their online facility in 2015.

It cuts down on the administrative burden within DARD and minimises the chance of mistakes being made by the applicant.

Paper forms will be issued to all farm businesses at the end of March. The normal deadline of 15 May 2015 for the completion of forms applies again this year.

In most cases, forms will be pre-populated with 2014 claim information.

However, around 5,000 landowners who claimed in 2014, but did not respond to the letter from DARD last September which suggested that they are not active farmers, will not receive a form.

In the intervening period, if they have decided that they want to farm this year, they can still request a blank form from the Department.

Changes

With the changes coming as part of CAP reform, the 2015 SAF will be slightly more complicated than in previous years.

Those who wish to apply for the young farmers’ top-up must apply via the SAF.

However, supporting evidence (proof of age, qualifications, head of holding status, etc) must be presented in person to a DARD Direct office.

Claims made to various schemes, such as the NI Countryside Management Scheme, the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) payment and the Farm Woodland Scheme, are also completed using the SAF.

However, young farmers and new entrants who hope to receive an award from the regional reserve will be expected to fill in a regional reserve application form (RR2 form) and take it to their local DARD Direct office, along with supporting evidence. The RR2 form is supplementary to the SAF. The SAF must also be completed by the new entrant or young farmer.

To be eligible for an award from the regional reserve (and go straight to the NI average of approximately €329/ha), a young farmer must have a Level 2 qualification in agriculture, be no more than 40 years of age in the first year of application, and set up as the head of a farming business on or after 1 January 2010.

A new entrant must also hold a Level 2 qualification in agriculture, but commenced their agricultural activity on or after 1 January 2013.

Those farmers who hold no entitlements (because they started farming after entitlements were awarded in the last CAP reform process in 2005) and who are ineligible for the regional reserve (farming since before 1 January 2013) can apply for entitlements on the 2015 SAF.

If successful, they start at the bottom (€47/ha) and it will be 2021 before they are at the NI average of €329/ha.

Greening

The vast majority of grassland farmers in NI will be exempt from greening requirements and will automatically receive the greening payment.

However, greening is an issue for specialist arable farms and some larger livestock enterprises, which will be required to meet rules around crop diversification and ecological focus area (EFA).

The features that will be used to fulfill the EFA requirement must be notified to DARD on an SAF4 form.

For those applying online, and who are identified as having an EFA requirement, they will be prompted to complete an electronic version of the SAF4 and email it to the Department.

It will also be possible to download an electronic version of the SAF4 from the DARD website, which can be completed and emailed to DARD, or printed out and sent in hard copy with the SAF.

Over-cautious farmers at risk of penalties

Farmers who are cautious when it comes to declaring eligible land this year could run the risk of penalties on their payments for under-declaration of land.

Highlighting the issue, chair of the UFU Hill Farming Committee Ian Buchanan said he was concerned that farmers working on heather moorland could get caught out. “We are constantly told to be careful around the active farmer issue, but if we are cautious on this, we could end up with penalties,” he said.

He would like DARD to help farmers by identifying ineligible heather on the farm map – at present, a field with up to 20% of mature heather (more than 50cm tall) is deemed eligible. More than 20% mature heather and the total area of heather becomes ineligible.

The guidance from DARD is that farmers must declare all the eligible land they farm and establish entitlements over this area. There is some potential leeway – under-declared land on a single application form should not exceed 3%. Common sense would suggest that a farmer who has erred on the side of caution should not end up with a penalty.

However, some farmers have also queried what they should do if they intend to build a new shed in future years – should they leave some land off their form this year?

In response, a DARD spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal: “Farmers should establish entitlements in 2015 on all land which they are sure is eligible for the duration of the 2015 calendar year. By not doing so, farmers may see their payments reduced, as well as possibly having difficulties with complying with the nitrates directive and complications with meeting the requirements of greening.”

End to dual claims

One of the main principles in the future is that it is the person who is actively farming the land who can claim future subsidy payments.

This means that claimants to the new Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme, the replacement for the Less Favoured Area Compensatory Allowances (LFACA) scheme, must be the same person who is activating entitlements on the land.

The same principle applies for the Basic Payment Scheme, Greening and the Young Farmers’ top-up.

The only scheme where a dual use claim is permitted is under existing agri-environment agreements, which may continue to be claimed by the existing agreement holder until the end of the agreement.

According to the latest DARD guidance, dual-use claims may still be possible in future agri-environment schemes (a new scheme is expected in 2016), but might only be permitted in specific, limited circumstances.

Online services

Farmers who are interested in completing their SAF online can contact DARD by calling 0300 200 7843 or text EASY to 66101.

Alternatively, go to www.dardni.gov.uk/online-services. At the first screen, click “LOGIN”. Next, click on “I need a Government Gateway account”.

Follow the directions to register for a Government Gateway account. Once registered, you will have access to the single application online service.

For help at any stage, phone DARD on 0300 200 7848.

Roadshows

DARD will be hosting a series of public roadshows in each county in NI during March. The aim is to provide farmers with more information on the rules and application process for the new schemes in 2015.