CAP Payments - Supplementary Material
Arable Crops Aid
Arable producers can apply for area payments on eligible land used to grow, cereals, oilseeds, proteins and linseed.
If a producer wants to receive compensatory payments, he or she must join the system and may have to set-aside land. The land a producer uses to claim area payments and set-aside payments must meet certain conditions in relation to past use.
The scheme is open to all arable producers irrespective of the areas sown. Producers claiming compensation on over 15.13 hectares (37 acres) can claim crop specific rates of aid, but will have to set-aside a minimum of 5% of eligible land for which a set-aside payment will be granted. The following set-aside requirements apply for the 2003/2004 marketing year.
Obligatory Set-aside: The core period for set-aside is 15 January to 31 August. Specific rules are laid down relating to the management and maintenance of set-aside land during that period. The obligatory rate for 2004 is 5%.
Voluntary Set-aside: Producers may set-aside an additional 20% above the obligatory rate on a voluntary basis i.e. 25% max overall.
Producers claiming compensation on a maximum of 15.13 hectares (37 acres) of cultivated land have no obligatory set-aside requirement.
For detailed information on the Arable Aid Crops Scheme, click the following:
Suckler Cow Premium
This scheme is available to herd owners in all areas of the country provided they have a suckler cow quota. Cows must be of a beef breed and used for rearing calves for meat production. Suckler cows submitted for application must be maintained on the farm for 6 calendar months from the day after the date the application is lodged. The application period in 2004 is from the 2nd January to June 30th inclusive. There is no compulsory 15% dry heifer requirement in 2004 but applicants have an option to apply on heifers up to a maximum of 40% of the total number of animals for which premium is requested.Small scale milk producers qualify for suckler cow premium if their milk quota does not exceed 43,994 gals. To maintain suckler cow quota 90% must be filled annually. Transfer and leasing of quota is permitted. The payment rate in 2004 is €224.15 per cow on all eligible cows.
Special Beef Premium (9 and 21 months)
This premium is paid on castrated male bovines. The premium can be claimed twice in the animal's lifetime, at 9 and 21 months.
Animals aged between 7 and 19 months can qualify once for the 9 month premium. Animals over 20 months can qualify once for the 21 month premium. Animals submitted for application must be retained on the farm for two months. A maximum of 180 male animals in each age category may be applied for up to a stocking density of 1.8LU/ha.
Applicants can submit up to twelve applications in each age category between 1st January and 31st December each year. The payment rate in 2004 is €150 per head for each category.
Special Bull Premium
Premium is payable once in animals lifetime on uncastrated male bovines. An animal is eligible for payment if aged over 7 months. A maximum of 180 animals can be submitted but this limit will also include any animals applied for under the 9 month Special Beef Premium. The retention period and stocking density limits are similar to those under the Special Beef Premium. The payment rate in 2004 is €210 per head.
New Slaughter Premium
This scheme commenced on 1st January 2000 and is payable on all bovine animals over 8 months of age. Payment will be made automatically for all animals slaughtered in Ireland or exported live to third countries. Animals exported to another EU country for slaughter within one month, will have to be applied on within 6 months of slaughter. There is a two month retention period ending less than one month before slaughter or live export to a third country. The rate of payment is €80 in 2004.
Deseasonalisation Slaughter Premium
This premium is normally paid to producers of castrated male bovines slaughtered in licensed meat export plants and have already received at least one of the Special Beef Premiums. Animals must be slaughtered between 1st January and mid June. Because our slaughterings of steers was below 35% of annual slaughterings in the period of 1st September to 30th November 2002 no deseasonalisation slaughter premium will be payable in 2004.
Extensification Premium
This premium is aimed at encouraging more extensive livestock production. The premium will be paid to producers with eligible suckler cows and male bovines provided they are within the following stocking densities for 2004:
| Stocking Density | Payment Rate |
|---|---|
| Between 1.4 and 1.8 LU/ha | €40/head |
| Less than 1.4 LU/ha | €80/head |
From the year 2000 onwards all animals over 6 months on the farm, including heifers, will be counted for stock density calculations. Ewe numbers as per number applied on for ewe premium will be counted for stocking density purposes but extensification will not be paid on ewes. In 2004 Extensification will be applied for by ticking the 2004 Area Aid form. Stocking Density will be calculated automatically using CMMS which will use the census system, taking five dates spread throughout 2004.
Ewe Premium
Registered flock owners with ewe quota may apply for ewe premium on eligible ewes. There is one application date each year normally December to early January. Ewes must be retained for 100 days after the closing date for application to the scheme.
An applicant must have at least 10 ewes that have lambed or will be at least one year old by the end of the retention period. The full premium will be paid on 500 and 1000 ewes in non disadvantaged and disadvantaged areas respectively and half the premium on any excess in each area.
In order to maintain quotas at least 70% must be filled each year. Transfer and leasing of quota is permitted.
For the production year 2003 and each year after that the value of ewe flock premium is fixed at €21 plus a national envelope top-up of €1.20, given a total per eligible ewe of €22.20. This premium is now independent of lamb price and is payable in total in one payment in October.
In addition to this, €7 is payable (rural world payment see below) in disadvantaged areas, giving a total payment per eligible ewe in disadvantaged areas of €29.20.
Rural World Premium
This premium is payable to flock owners with at least 50% of their land in the disadvantaged area. Payment is made automatically in conjunction with the Ewe Premium scheme. This means that ewes eligible for premium in the disadvantaged areas are automatically eligible for rural world premium. No separate application is required.
The full premium is payable on 1000 ewes and at half rate on any excess of 1000. The full payment rate is €7/ewe and is paid in October as part of ewe premium payment (see above).
National Base Area
The National Base Area system will again operate in Ireland for the 2003/2004 sowing year. The national base area is the average of the areas which were sown to cereals, oilseeds, linseed and protein crops or in publicly funded set-aside during 1989, 1990 and 1991. Under this system there is no individual limit on the area for which a producer can claim aid, provided he/she has sufficient eligible land.
The national base area for all crops is 345,500 ha. If the total area claimed by applicants exceeds the National Base Area, the eligible area per producer will be reduced proportionately for all aids payable, i.e. cereals, oilseeds, protein crops, linseed and where appropriate set-aside, in the 2003/2004 crop year.
Areas grown outside of the system will not be counted for the purposes of assessing whether or not the National Base Area is exceeded unless a producer claims these areas as part of his/her forage area.
A separate base area will apply for maize. However, penalties will apply in the case of maize only if the base area for that crop is exceeded and any undershoot of the base area for other crops is insufficient to offset the maize overshoot.
Regional Yields
Payment rates are based on Ireland's historic average national crop yields. Ireland is one region for this purpose.
Maximum Guaranteed Area For Oilseeds
Under an agreement between the European Union and the United States there is a maximum guaranteed area (MGA) for oilseeds in the European Union of 5.484 million hectares. This is divided between the 15 Member States. Ireland's MGA is 4,500 Ha.
Penalties will apply if the MGA for the EU is exceeded. These penalties will be borne by the Member States which exceed their MGAs. The national penalties will be repeated in the following year if the EU ceiling is again exceeded.
Eligible Land
Arable aid may be claimed only in respect of eligible land, land which was not under permanent pasture between 1/1/87 to December 31st, 1991. Permanent pasture is defined as land under pasture for at least 5 unbroken years.
The onus shall be on the applicant to provide evidence, if requested, that any land on which he/she is claiming arable aid is eligible.
Eligibility can be transferred to an ineligible parcel / plot on foot of a valid request submitted to the Area Aid Unit. The closing date for transfer requests in respect of 2004 Area Aid applications was 31 March. The farmer must farm both parcels of land
Applicants who claim arable aid in respect of ineligible land or land to which eligibility has not been transferred will be subject to penalties.
Accurate measurement of both sown and setaside areas, allowing for the necessary deductions, is vitally important. It is particularly important to ensure that areas are not overdeclared, since this will incur penalties. Land for which payment is claimed, whether sown or set aside, must be capable of being cultivated
Crop Husbandry
All crops must be sown by 31st May in accordance with normal husbandry standards. The land must be prepared and seed sown in a way and at a seed rate which could be expected to produce a normal marketable crop. The crops must be properly maintained until at least the beginning of flowering. Where aid is claimed in respect of eligible arable crops or mixtures thereof undersown with grass, the seeding rate must be the recognised full seeding rate for that arable crop or mixtures thereof.
For a crop to be acceptable, it must have a reasonable plant stand, with the plants uniformly distributed throughout the claimed parcel area.
The following minimum plant stands will be accepted provided cultural and management practices are such as to deliver an average yielding, marketable product:
| CROP | PLANT DENSITY(No. per square metre) |
|---|---|
| Winter/Spring oats | 200 |
| Winter/Spring barley | 150 |
| Winter Wheat | 120 |
| Spring Wheat | 140 |
| Winter Beans | 20 |
| Spring Beans | 20 |
| Peas (protein) | 50 |
| Winter Oilseed Rape | 30 |
| Spring Oilseed Rape | 40 |
| Maize | 9 |
| Linseed | 230 |
In the case of oilseeds, linseeds and protein crops these crops must be maintained until 30 June unless harvested at full crop maturity before that date.
Crops may not be planted for the sole purpose of claiming arable aid. Normal husbandry standards include harvesting at full maturity where appropriate.
Any significant accidental damage to crops for which arable aid is claimed must be notified to the Department before the applicant is notified of the results of any administrative, satellite or aerial photography control or before notification of any intended on-farm inspection. Applicants in this situation have the option of re-sowing (up to 31st May) or withdrawing the specified affected area from their 2004 Area Aid application. In these circumstances the Area Aid Unit should be notified immediately.
A single division of one metre wide or other recognisable boundary must exist between the different crop group categories declared for example where a parcel or plot is sown to a single crop but that crop is being declared under two different categories (e.g. barley, part of which is declared as arable and part as forage, or oilseed rape, part of which is declared as arable and part as industrial set-aside).
Requirements Relating to Aid for Oilseeds and Linseed
Payments in respect of oilseeds will be made only if the oilseed in question is
- certified seed of an eligible variety. A list of the eligible varieties is available on request from the AREA AID UNIT or from TEAGASC; or
- seed being the product of the harvest obtained from the planting of certified seed of an eligible variety on the same holding, which is shown, by analysis of a representative sample taken by an appointed agent of the Department, to have a glucosinolate content not greater than 18.0 (moles/g seed; or
- seed of stocks which have an erucic acid content greater than 40% of the total fatty acid content and for which, before sowing, a cultivation contract was made with an approved first buyer for the production of a crop intended either for a specified non-food use or for use as seed for sowing to produce such a crop; or
- seed of stocks whether or not listed as an eligible variety which, before sowing, were registered for inspection and control and intended to yield a crop for use as breeders' seed, pre-basic or certified seed for sowing, or for research or testing purposes to determine whether the stock may be added to the national variety list; or
- certified seed of the varieties "Bienvenu" or "Jet Neuf" for which, before sowing, a cultivation contract was signed between the producer and a buyer who is specially approved for that purpose by the competent authority with a view to obtaining seed for the production of an oil intended for specific food uses.
Specific flax varieties of linseed grown mainly for fibre and for fibre flax seed are not eligible for arable aid payments. A list of these varieties is available from the AREA AID UNIT or from TEAGASC.
Total arable area including areas under oilseeds, linseed and set-aside must be taken into account in calculating the area to be put in set-aside.
Producers claiming aid in respect of oilseed or linseed crops may be requested to provide evidence of the variety sown.
Setaside Requirements
Land to be set aside must cover an area of at least 0.3 contiguous hectares and have a width of at least 20 metres. Smaller areas will be considered if they involve whole fields with permanent boundaries such as walls, hedges or watercourses or parcels at least 10 metres wide along permanent watercourses or lakes, and subject to special conditions.
MANAGEMENT OF SET-ASIDE LAND
Set-aside land must be managed according to the following rules
(a) During the period after harvesting and prior to 15 January 2004
(i) A green cover must be established either through the sowing of a mixture of grasses or mustard, phacelia, fodder rape or by natural regeneration before 15 January 2004.
(ii) Where fodder rape is used as a green cover it may be grazed up to 14 January 2004 but an acceptable green cover must remain.
(iii) Light cultivation immediately after harvesting to promote natural regeneration is permitted provided a green cover is established by 15 January 2004.
(iv)Where harvesting is delayed due to adverse weather conditions or in the case of late harvested root crops, thus preventing the sowing of a green cover, no action such as cultivation or spraying should be taken which would impede natural regeneration prior to the commencement of the setaside period.
(b) During the period 15 January 2004 to 15 April 2004
(i) Where a green cover has been established it should be retained until at least 15 April 2004.
(ii) The only activity permitted on set-aside land during this period is that associated with non-food crops.
(c) During the period 16 April 2004 to 31 August 2004
(i) Ploughing of setaside land is not permitted during this period except for the following purposes:
(a) from 16 April to establish a green cover (including land which has been used for late harvested root crops) or
(b) from 16 July to prepare land for sowing of crops for harvesting not earlier than 15 May 2005.
(ii) Green cover must be cut at least once during the period 16 July to 15 August 2004 to leave a covering of 10 cm. or less. The cuttings must be left on the land and turning or baling of the cuttings is not permitted.
(iii) Grass cover established on setaside land and treated with herbicides to reduce herbage production must have the treated herbage, including any re-growth, topped and managed in accordance with the conditions specified in relation to green cover at (c) (ii) above.
(iv) If it is necessary to cut the green cover in the period 16 April to 15 July 2004 in order to control weeds (such as thistle, dock, ragwort or wild oats), or to maintain an acceptable visual appearance, it must be cut at a height of not less than 20 cm. The cuttings must be left on the land and turning or baling of the cuttings is not permitted.
(v) Cutting should always be effected in such a way as to allow an escape route for wildlife.
(vi) Where a green cover has been established, the control of weeds is allowed from 16 April 2004, either by shallow cultivation or by use of non-residual or short duration residual herbicides as appropriate, including paraquat / diquat and glyphosate (with label clearance for use on setaside land).
(vii) Where there is an existing green cover, the application of fertiliser (organic or inorganic) and lime is allowed between 16 April and 31 October 2004 at levels which does not present an environmental hazard.
(viii) Where there is a breach of the management rules no set-aside payment will be made for the parcel of land in question and there may also be a reduction in arable payments where the obligatory 10% setaside requirement has not been met.
(d) During the period 1 September 2004 to 14 January 2005
During the period from 1 September 2004 to 14 January 2005 farmers are permitted to use the green cover on their setaside land to feed their own animals either by grazing or as hay or silage.
Arable Scheme Payments 2004
Payment of Arable Aid will commence on 16 November 2004. The arable aid scheme is fully financed by the EU.
Arable aid may be claimed in respect of the crops listed in the following table and paid at the rates per hectare shown below for 2004,
The rates indicated may be subject to change if:
(a) the total area for which arable aid is claimed exceeds the national base area or
(b) in the case of oilseeds, there is an excess in the EU maximum guaranteed area for oilseeds.
1 Euro = £0.787564
| Crop | Payments per hectare 2004 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cereals (including mixtures of cereals, oilseeds and proteins but excluding maize silage) | 383.04 |
|
| Set-aside | Euro | 383.04 |
| Maize Silage (if the base area is not exceeded) | Euro | 365.40 |
| Oilseeds | Euro |
383.04 |
| Protein Crops | Euro | 440.80 |
| Linseed.Hemp and Flax grown for fibre. | Euro |
383.04 |
€ per hectare divided by 3.13 is equal to £ per hectare
Mixtures of cereals/proteins/oilseeds must consist solely of eligible arable crops. If arable crops on which aid is claimed are undersown and harvested prior to full maturity (e.g.for silage), the undersown material may not form any significant portion of the crop harvested. Cereal / vetch mixtures will not be eligible for arable aid payments.
Flax and Hemp
Flax and Hemp grown for fibre are again included as from 2002 in the support system for producers of certain arable crops.
The detailed requirements for eligibility for payments for flax and hemp grown for fibre are set down in a number of EU Regulations. These requirements include, inter alia;
- conditions as regards eligibility of land;
- conditions as regards cultivation;
- conditions as regards eligible seed varieties and submission of evidence of seed used;
- conditions as regards eligible varieties of hemp which offer certain guarantees with regard to the psychotropic substance content;
- conditions regarding the maximum tetrahydrocannabinol content (not exceeding 0.2%) for hemp grown for fibre;
- conditions relating to contract/commitment.
EU Regulations require that an application for aid in respect of hemp and flax grown for fibre must be submitted as part of the Area Aid application. Any producer who is interested in making an application for aid under this scheme should contact the Area Aid Unit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development directly for full details.
