Published: Thursday, 11th February, 2010 9:58am

Mapping clinics 'useful'

Jim Muldoon, Group member, checking his farm maps with Rosemary Breen of DARD at the recent mapping clinics hosted by the UFU.

The Ulster Farmers' Union in Fermanagh has hosted a successful series of meetings for members to help them identify any corrections that they need to make to their farm maps to avoid claiming Single Farm Payment on ineligible areas. DARD staff addressed each meeting outlining the type of changes that need to be made such as scrub areas, extensions to farmyards and new laneways. DARD staff then showed members, on an individual basis, their farm maps with aerial imagery imposed so that they could discuss the accuracy of their existing maps and highlight any changes that would need to be made.

Members who attended commented "the meetings were extremely useful", "definitely time well spent".

The Ulster Farmers' Union said that Single Farm Payment is such an important part of farm incomes it's essential to avoid penalties or delays because of errors.