In line with other member states, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the details of all CAP scheme payments made during the period 16 October 2013 to 15 October 2014. Therefore, the list includes the 2013 Single Farm Payment (SFP).

A quick search allows users to select out payments made by DARD in NI, and to select on the basis of name, postcode, SFP or total CAP money received.

A search by total money received – which includes payments made under Pillar I (SFP) and Pillar II (Rural Development Programme or RDP) – reveals that it was the commercial arm of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, Countryside Services Ltd (CSL), which received the most CAP money in that period. In total, £1.977m was paid out by DARD to CSL for delivery and administration of various schemes (eg farm modernisation) under the 2007-2014 RDP.

ADVERTISEMENT

Coming next is a long list of councils which benefited from DARD’s decision to prioritise spending near the end of the last RDP on various strategic projects. Analysis of the results by 2013 SFP, reveals that only 49 farm businesses in NI received a payment of over £100,000. The list is generally headed by some well-known beef farmers, with the highest SFP at £322,182. The last time the full list was published in 2010, a number of meat plant owners appeared near the top – they seem to have restructured and split their businesses since then.

In fourth place on the list is CAFRE, with a total SFP of £186,659. However, its total payment amounted to over £240,000 when the less-favoured area compensatory allowance (LFACA) of £53,585 is added in. For a number of larger farmers in hill areas, LFACA money makes up a significant part of total payments.

Anyone with a SFP of £1,045 or less is not named on the list. In total, only 5,000 farmers in NI received a SFP in 2013 of greater than £15,000.

Information on the 2014 SFP is to be published by 31 May 2016 (CAP payments made between 16 October 2014 and 15 October 2015). The website showing the full list of payments made in the UK can be found at www.cap-payments.defra.gov.uk

AHDB to review RB209

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is leading a project to independently review information in the current fertiliser manual (RB209).

The findings of this review will feed into the first planned edition of the new successor guide to RB209 – the AHDB Nutrient Management Guide, which will be released in 2017.

AHDB will be working with a steering group of partners on the project, known as the UK Partnership for Crop Nutrient Management, to form the strategy for the project.

Input into the project will also come from local technical experts in DARD, CAFRE and AFBI. George Mathers from CAFRE says: “In NI there is a need for continued improvement in water quality to meet the requirements of the Nitrates and Water Framework Directives, and sustainable intensification is an essential element of our Going for Growth strategy.

“Therefore, every opportunity must be taken to make full use of organic manures and to apply nutrients efficiently to match crop requirement. A comprehensive and robust set of fertiliser and manure recommendations is fundamental to achieving efficient production and good environmental performance.”

David Wright

Foster ‘confident’ farmers will receive 2015 payment

The current impasse over the budget at Stormont has led to some suggestions that it would be difficult for government departments to incur expenditure later this year, which could impact on when 2015 subsidy payments are made to farmers.

However, answering questions at Stormont this week, Minister for Finance Arlene Foster said that in the event that her latest budget bill is rejected, she is taking steps to ensure that payments will be made to farmers.

“I am confident that the Single Farm Payment will be paid, although possibly not through the normal process,” she said.

During a meeting with MLAs at Stormont last week, DARD finance director Graeme Wilkinson acknowledged that DARD may have to look at “contingency arrangements” if a budget deal is not reached. However, he insisted that given the subsidy system is an EU scheme, backed by EU money, “farmers’ payments are secure”.

Next steps in Single Application process

Minister for Agriculture Michelle O’Neill has confirmed the number of applications made this year for the new various new subsidy schemes.

In total, DARD received 27,173 single applications by the closing date of 15 May 2015, with 26,494 applying for the Basic Payment Scheme and greening, 2,247 for the young farmers’ top-up and 9,954 applying for the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme.

In addition, 1,771 young farmers are understood to have applied for the regional reserve, which potentially allows them to go straight to the regional average of approximately €329/ha.

In a statement, the minister said: “Once all of the application data has been entered into the DARD system, applications will be thoroughly checked. Alongside this, claims will be selected for inspection on a random and risk basis. In addition, new controls have been introduced to ensure applicants to schemes are active farmers.”

The latest indications are that between 2,100 and 2,500 farm businesses will be subjected to a land eligibility inspection this year, with DARD indicating that up to 85% of these inspections will be done by remote sensing (using satellite images).

DARD funding

for YFC

In an answer to a written MLA question, Minister for Agriculture Michelle O’Neill has detailed the amount of funding provided to the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU).

Over a three-year period (2011-2014), the YFCU received £75,000/year as part of an agreed programme of work. Following completion of this programme, the YFCU submitted a new proposal and received an offer for grant in aid of £75,000/year for a two-year period.

“To date, £60,000 has been paid and a further £15,000 will be paid on submission of a satisfactory annual report in June 2015,” confirmed the minister.

Ministers asked to outline meat imports

Upper Bann MLA Jo-Anne Dobson has written to both Minister for Enterprise Jonathan Bell and Minister for Agriculture Michelle O’Neill questioning the level of imported meat into NI.

In her response, Minister O’Neill highlighted figures from the HMRC website which showed that the value of meat and meat preparations imported into NI in 2014 totalled almost £380m. Of this, £16m worth of product came from non-EU countries.

“A proportion of this imported meat will have been subject to additional processing before resale. This value-adding activity creates employment and contributes to the local economy” said the minister.

Consumers want information on stunning at slaughter

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has called on the European Commission to back proposals to introduce labelling of non-stun slaughtered meat, after a study of 13,500 meat consumers across 27 EU member states found 72% want the information.

The BVA has long campaigned against the use of non-stun or religious slaughter in the UK (eg halal), maintaining that it compromises animal welfare.

John Blackwell, BVA president, says: “The long-awaited release of this report gives renewed vigour to the BVA’s campaign for better consumer information on animal welfare at slaughter and the need for meat from non-stun slaughter to be clearly labelled.”