With 2,600 GLAS inspections to be undertaken across GLAS I, II and III before 15 May 2018, the Department of Agriculture has highlighted some areas where farmers are falling short on.

General actions

The Department is finding that actions are not being done in the location that they are marked on the map. Farmers are also not retaining receipts or invoices for the duration of their GLAS contract.

On split or whole parcels, the boundary between the GLAS area and the non-GLAS area is not adequately fenced or stock-proofed. Issues have also arose where a single field has been split between low input permanent pasture (LIPP) and traditional hay meadows (THM) but no fence is in place.

Area-based actions

Inspectors have also encountered a number of area-based issues, including farmers who chose wild bird cover as one of their GLAS options. Inspections have found that the crop has not been planted at all or where it has been planted it was in an unsuitable site, such as marginal land which was not capable of producing a wild bird cover crop.

Issues with THM parcels include the presence of scrub and being unsuitable for hay production, including parcels with a significant rock outcrop selected. Scrub has also been a problem of LIPP parcels, as has heather.

Linear-based actions

For coppicing or planting hedgerows, the Department is finding that the length applied for is not being delivered and the action is being delivered in the wrong location.

Watercourses are not being identified on the map or the maps are not being amended where there is no watercourse present, such as a piped stream.

Problems with stone walls include incorrect lengths on the ground and that walls are inaccessible due to overgrowth.

For numerical actions, inspectors are finding that the items are not in situ. For example, a single bat box is installed where there should be three. Farmers are urged to address any indiscrepancies immediately.