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17/12/14 14:30

Rural support update

Further details available from the Scottish Government.

Scotland’s rural development programme will open to applications in early 2015, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has confirmed.

The Scottish Government has published its timetable for the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2015-2020 which will support Scottish farming, food production, rural communities and the environment. Although the SRDP is still subject to final European approval, the first schemes will open to applications in January.

Mr Lochhead has also confirmed today:

  • A simplification of the minimum activity rules that farmers will need to meet to qualify for CAP direct payments on rough grazing land
  • Updated cross compliance guidance is now available on the Scottish Government website
  • A new, better targeted approach to addressing Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) will see more than 2,000 farms fully or partially removed from NVZ designated areas and the designation of two new NVZs.

The Cabinet Secretary said:

“Scotland’s rural development programme provides crucial support for Scottish farming, food production, rural communities and the environment, and is worth £1.3 billion over the next six years.

“However the European sign-off process is proving disappointingly slow, with only three out of 118 rural development programmes across the whole of Europe agreed so far and the new SRDP now not expected to be formally approved until next summer.

“To avoid any unnecessary delay or disruption to payments I have decided to get the ball rolling and begin accepting applications to various SRDP schemes early in 2015, so that the Scottish Government is ready to pay out at the earliest opportunity once the programme is approved.

“Although our transition arrangements will prevent this delay from having much impact, clearly this is far from ideal. It is yet another example of the difficulties we are facing because of the challenging European timetable and delays in getting advice from EU officials about the fine detail of this new, more complex CAP. It is important to point out that the sticking points are detailed technical measures and not the big CAP policy decisions I took in June. However, the uncertainty caused by repeated Commission requests to change our plans is disruptive for both farmers and administrations.

“It underlines the need to be able to review and amend the implementation detail in the next year or two, and I have written to the new Agricultural Commissioner both to draw attention to this unhelpful uncertainty and to press the review point.”

On the changes to NVZs, Mr Lochhead added:

“Scotland has a magnificent natural environment which is intrinsic to the success of our world famous food and drink, and tourism sectors. We must therefore do all we can to protect the quality of our water.

“Scotland’s approach to protecting our water environment is already admired by many countries, and the action taken so far by Scottish farmers – in partnership with the Scottish Government, our agencies and other stakeholders – has already led to improvements in practices affecting water quality.

“The changes I am announcing today will enable us to build on the progress made so far whilst, at the same time, reducing Scotland’s NVZ areas by 24 per cent.

“My officials will shortly be writing to the 2,212 farm businesses coming out of current NVZs, to inform them of the update and any action they need to take – as well as writing to the 130 or so farms coming into the new NVZ areas in 2016 explaining the support and training on offer.

“Although water quality is improving across Scotland we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Every farmer must continue to do their best to minimise nitrate and diffuse pollution as we implement these new NVZ regulations in tandem with Scotland’s greenest ever Common Agricultural Policy.”

Notes to editors

The timetable for the SRDP 2015-2020 is as follows:

  • LFASS: Applications submitted and assessed through Single Application Form in May 2015 as part of the usual CAP claim system, with payments being made in spring 2016.
  • Agri-environment: Will open in March 2015 with contracts likely to issue in autumn 2015. To safeguard key habitats and species, some priority multi-annual agri-environment contracts due to expire in 2014 are being renewed.
  • Forestry: Open to applications from March 2015, and these submitted and assessed as normal with contracts and payments issuing after SRDP approval.
  • Food and Drink: Open it to applications on March 1, 2015 and look to issue contracts and payments as soon as possible.
  • Farm capital investment schemes (crofters, small farmers and new entrants): Open to applications in January 2015 due to some of these investments being linked to young farmers, who have an age cut-off which obliges applicants to submit their application for support prior to their 41st birthday.
  • Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF) and Environmental Cooperative Action Fund: Will likely open to applications in early 2015, with contracts issued after SRDP approval
  • LEADER: Local Action Groups (LAGs) will be able to commence work to develop projects with partners for consideration and approval from spring 2015 onwards.
  • Scottish Rural Network: Is ongoing and will continue during the SRDP approval process.
  • Beef Efficiency Scheme: Will launch in 2016.
  • Advisory Service: Will launch in 2016.
  • Broadband fund: Opening in spring 2015, delivered by Community Broadband Scotland as part of a wider package of support.

SRDP scheme guidance is available from the Scottish Government website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/SRDP/SRDP20142020Schemes

The Scottish clause/minimum activity rules are:

  • Farmers with agricultural land that has to be ‘maintained’ in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation will need to take steps to control injurious weeds and maintain features normally associated with active grazing on this kind of land.
  • Farmers with agricultural land that is ‘naturally’ in a state that is suitable for grazing or cultivation will need to be sure that for 183 days in a year they either meet a minimum stocking density of 0.05LU/ha or where justified, a minimum stocking density that is in line with the carrying capacity of the land, or they will need to cut their vegetation on an annual basis.

In Scotland, land that is naturally in a state suitable for grazing will be land that is in Basic Payment regions 2 and 3.

Updated cross compliance guidance is available from http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/grants/Schemes/Crosscompliancesection/CComplianceupdates

EU rules require the designation of NVZs where there is a serious threat to the water environment from agricultural sources, and farms in these areas need to have nitrogen management plans in place. A recent review has led to a more targeted approach to assessing nitrate impacts across Scotland.

Following a public consultation on the use of a new methodology, the boundaries of Scotland’s four existing NVZs – Moray/Aberdeenshire/Banff and Buchan, Strathmore/Fife, Lothian and Borders, and Lower Nithsdale – will be changed to fully or partially remove 2,212 farms from NVZ designated areas from February 2, 2015.

Applying the enhanced methodology will also result in the introduction of two new NVZs, identified in the review where nitrate levels are failing to meet EU standards – Pilanton in South West Scotland and Finavon in Angus. The new designations, affecting around 130 farms, will come into effect in early 2016.

For more information on NVZs see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/Environment/NVZintro