With the introduction of a new £173.5m agri-environment scheme set to be delayed until 2016, Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has assured farmers that DARD will honour existing agri-environment agreements under Countryside Management and other schemes.
Speaking in Creggan Community Centre, County Tyrone last week, the Minister said that a new scheme under the next Rural Development Plan (RDP) for 2014 to 2020 would open, but with budgets tight, she could not guarantee it will be next year. “It will most likely be in 2016,” she said.
The decision to delay opening a new scheme is part of a DARD cost-cutting exercise to stay within 2015/16 budget limits.
Some other parts of the next RDP have been prioritised, including funding for the new Local Action Groups (LAGs), and Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC).
However, delaying particular programmes until the 2016/17 financial year will save DARD around £9.1m in 2015/16, which is a significant chunk of the overall £30m saving that is required.
New scheme
When a new agri-environment scheme is opened in 2016, it is likely to have three different levels;
A targeted level for land in environmentally designated sites.A wider-level scheme targeted at all areas.A group-level scheme for specific initiatives, for example, along a river catchment.However, one change that is likely is that it will only be the person actively farming the land who will be able to participate in a new scheme. In the existing schemes, a landowner can claim agri-environment payments while letting their land in conacre to a tenant farmer.
“In future, it is likely to be a single user on the land – that is the direction of travel,” said Richard Crowe from DARD, also speaking at the meeting in Creggan last week.
It is one of the key principles going forward – only one individual will be allowed to claim CAP subsidy on a parcel of land.
Footnote: Minister O’Neill was speaking at a farmers meeting on CAP reform – see report on page 52.
With the introduction of a new £173.5m agri-environment scheme set to be delayed until 2016, Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has assured farmers that DARD will honour existing agri-environment agreements under Countryside Management and other schemes.
Speaking in Creggan Community Centre, County Tyrone last week, the Minister said that a new scheme under the next Rural Development Plan (RDP) for 2014 to 2020 would open, but with budgets tight, she could not guarantee it will be next year. “It will most likely be in 2016,” she said.
The decision to delay opening a new scheme is part of a DARD cost-cutting exercise to stay within 2015/16 budget limits.
Some other parts of the next RDP have been prioritised, including funding for the new Local Action Groups (LAGs), and Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC).
However, delaying particular programmes until the 2016/17 financial year will save DARD around £9.1m in 2015/16, which is a significant chunk of the overall £30m saving that is required.
New scheme
When a new agri-environment scheme is opened in 2016, it is likely to have three different levels;
A targeted level for land in environmentally designated sites.A wider-level scheme targeted at all areas.A group-level scheme for specific initiatives, for example, along a river catchment.However, one change that is likely is that it will only be the person actively farming the land who will be able to participate in a new scheme. In the existing schemes, a landowner can claim agri-environment payments while letting their land in conacre to a tenant farmer.
“In future, it is likely to be a single user on the land – that is the direction of travel,” said Richard Crowe from DARD, also speaking at the meeting in Creggan last week.
It is one of the key principles going forward – only one individual will be allowed to claim CAP subsidy on a parcel of land.
Footnote: Minister O’Neill was speaking at a farmers meeting on CAP reform – see report on page 52.
SHARING OPTIONS