Check eligibility before claiming Basic Payment in 2019

Date published: 16 April 2019

It is often very difficult for DAERA to determine from satellite imagery whether bogland and areas covered with heather and rush are eligible and are being managed.

DARD News

As with any field, it is your responsibility to ensure that you only claim on eligible land and deduct all ineligible areas irrespective of what may be indicated on your online map. Farmers are advised to walk their land prior to making any claim.

In recent years a 100% penalty has been applied to a significant number of claims due to the inclusion of bogland and areas covered with heather and rush which, following an on-the-spot inspection, have turned out to be ineligible.

Land is only eligible to claim direct payments if the vegetation is kept in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation as outlined in the DAERA land eligibility guidance booklet for 2019

Agricultural activity must be carried out over the entire area being claimed on a significant and consistent basis in the calendar year of the claim.

At an on-the-spot inspection, evidence of at least one of the following agricultural activities being carried out on all of the land being claimed must be available from its appearance:

  • Grazing e.g. paths made by animals, animal droppings
  • Growing and harvesting a crop
  • Management of the vegetation such as flailing or controlled burning of heather

Placing small numbers of animals on large areas of bogland or heather is unlikely to make these areas eligible. Similarly, the presence of animals on these areas for a short period is unlikely to make them eligible. If evidence of agricultural activity is only present on part of a field, then the remainder of the field will be ruled ineligible.

Wildfires or burning more than 20% of the heather area is not considered controlled burning and therefore is not agricultural activity. If the fire is due to a reason beyond your control, you may wish to submit a force majeure application within 15 working days of the event for consideration

Land being claimed must be eligible for the entire calendar year, so action undertaken after an inspection has found the land to be ineligible can only make the land eligible for the next calendar year.

You should consider very carefully about claiming areas in 2019 which do not make a significant contribution to the agricultural activity of your business, as there is a high probability that these areas are ineligible.

Notes to editors: 

  1. Follow DAERA on Twitter and Facebook.
  2. All media enquiries to DAERA Press Office or tel: 028 9052 4619.

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