Eligible land advice from the horse’s mouth

A LOT of cliff-top land is not eligible for the single farm payment, disadvantaged areas, and grassland sheep schemes — and this advice on eligible land comes from the horse’s mouth — with Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney telling the Dáil he is quite familiar with the single farm payment scheme, because his family makes an application in respect of their own farm on the Co Cork coast every year.

“We have a great deal of cliff-top land that is not eligible, for obvious reasons. If land is to be eligible, it has to be farmable land. It has to have the capacity to carry stock for grazing or rough grazing purposes, or to carry crops. If agricultural activity like grazing is not taking place on the land, the farmer is required to maintain the land in a reasonable condition.”

“Topping may be required in such circumstances. If unwelcome growth is compromising the agricultural potential of the land, the farmer is required to deal with it.”