Grazing fee tests rules
Officials in the Department of Agriculture confirmed that it came to their attention recently that some land owners who plan to activate SFP payments in 2005, intend to rent the land for grazing.
There is no specific regulation within the scheme to deal with this practice, but Department officials have issued a warning that the land owners risk forfeiting their entitlements if they proceed without official authorisation.
Landowners plan to include the land in area aid applications and draw the single payment entitlements, but also let the use of the land for livestock grazing on a per head per day charge, which they see as preferable to topping, as a means of maintain the required "good agricultural condition" of the land, which is a primary objective of the EU and Department.
The procedure is being "considered", and has not officially been ruled in or out at this stage.
However, farmers who plan to use their land in this way are pressing the Department for a definitive decision on the warnings that they could lose their entitlements.
Some of the issues being considered by Department officials include defining who will be responsible for cross compliance (the owner of the land or the owner of the grazing livestock), and who can be held responsible for cross-compliance breaches.
There is also the issue of compliance with CMMS movement requirements for livestock, and disease regulations, and whether a land owner would be entitled to have livestock from more than one owner on the farm at the same time.
For the land owners, there is the requirement that they have the use of the land available to them for at least 10 months within the year, in order to qualify for the single payment.
If the land is being used by a grazier, it may not be "available" to the owner.
