Farmers have been given a guide to land eligibility during the DARD CAP roadshow in Enniskillen recently.

Herbie Jones, Niall Donaghy and Aiden McEvoy from various DARD branches, outlined the changes to the Single Application Forms, the new CAP reforms and land eligibility. There were good turnouts at both roadshow meetings in the afternoon and evening and there were plenty of questions put to DARD officials, especially on the status of active farmer and young farmer payment queries.

On land eligiblity, Aidan McEvoy, Head of Western Region, CMS Branch, said there were minimal changes to land eligibility but said evidence of agricultural activity on all land was now of particular importance.

He said the information gained from the LPIS maps did not always match the situation on the ground and he urged farmers to read the land eligibility guide which was produced in 2011.

He spoke about eligible land in permanent grassland, arable crops and permanent crops, with a minimum area of 0.1ha to be claimed, that the vegetation was eligible, had agricultural activity throughout the year and was at the claimant’s disposal on May 15 as well as being kept in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition.

Scrub A discussion took place about ineligible scrub which was segregated between dense scrub defined within a field that contained scrub that was so dense that no grazing was possible. These areas were 100 per cent ineligible.

Scattered scrub was where there were numerous small clumps of scrub present and grazing was possible between the clumps. A score card would need to be used to calculate the ineligible area which should be deducted from the field area. For example if there was five per cent or less scrub cover, a reduction of 2.5 per cent was applied. For more than five per cent and less than 20 per cent, a reduction of 13 per cent was applied, more than 21 per cent and less than 50 per cent, 36 per cent reduction was applied and more than 50 per cent of scrub cover, the total area was ineligible.

Rushes Rushes were defined as “a herbaceous, low-nutrient value forage plant” which meets the definition of permanent grassland. As a result, rush will generally not render the field or area ineligible but it would be ineligible where the field was inaccessible to grazing livestock, abandoned, not grazed within the past two years, was too wet for grazing and if the rush was impenetrable.

Bracken Land covered in bracken was not eligible.

Sheughs Sheughs are eligible where they are not a designated watercourse, where it was an open trench dug to improve the drainage of land, not encroached by scrub or other ineligible vegetation and unlikely to be more than two metres wide at the base.

Heather Heather can be considered eligible on a case by case basis. It was eligible where it was accessible to livestock, had significant forage value, was in agricultural use and was less than 50cms high. Heather was ineligible where it grew more than 50cms and was inaccessible. Bogland and areas covered with heather was eligible if the vegetation is kept in a state suitable for grazing or cutting and agricultural activity was carried out over the entire area being claimed “on a significant and consistent basis in the calendar year of the claim.” DARD is adhering to the May 15 deadline for completed applications despite an extension granted by the European Commission and taken up in the Republic of Ireland and England.

For the 2015 Single Application Form, claims will be made for the Basis Payment Scheme and Greening Payment, Young Farmers’ Payment, Areas of Natural Constraint, NI Countryside Management Scheme, NI Organic Farming Scheme, Farm Woodland Premium Scheme, Farm Woodland Scheme and Agricultural Waste Exemptions.

Farmers were encouraged to claim online. During 2014, of the 30,978 applications received by DARD, 11,751 or 38 per cent were submitted online, with 4,017 submitted directly by farmers and 7,734 by consultants acting on their behalf. Benefits to claiming online included on-screen warnings if questions were missed and also having automatic checking.

Young farmers claiming the special payment, must completed the Young Farmer registration form and deliver the applications with supporting evidence in person to DARD Direct Offices. Supporting documents include birth certificate, photo ID, Level II qualification and head of holding evidence such as a letter from an accountant or bank.

DARD has published guidelines on their website for assistance; www.dardni.gov.uk.