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.”

Mr Coveney also confirmed that if scattered scrub is present in a land parcel, farmers must make a percentage reduction in the area claimed for the schemes.

He was responding to Cork North West TD Michael Moynihan’s request that rough grazing be taken into account for the single farm payment. The minister said if an applicant wishes to claim in the area-based schemes for hill or mountain land or marginal land, or other rough grazing which cannot be mechanically topped, the only way to maintain it in good agricultural and environmental condition is to graze with sufficient cattle or sheep.