Land Classification
You are invited to make comments on the enclosed report “Definition of Land Classes for a Flat-Rate Decoupled Support Payment Scheme”. Further copies of the report may be downloaded below.
As you may be aware, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is in the process of introducing and implementing a decoupled support payment scheme for farmers. In many ways this is a similar exercise to the decoupling and single farm payment exercise carried out in the EU in recent years.
The proposal in the Isle of Man is contained in the Countryside Care Scheme and is for a move to a decoupled payment scheme. Entitlement to support would be derived from historic payments but with transition over a period of years to a flat rate payment scheme for all agricultural land. For the vast majority of existing producers, this transition to flat rate will not take effect until at least 2014. However, it is also proposed that some farmers will be paid on a flat rate basis from day one of the scheme, currently proposed to be 1st April 2009. There is therefore an urgent need to have all land categories defined and assessed.
It is currently proposed that there will be three land categories – non agricultural (no payment), and two agricultural land categories which will qualify for payment at a higher and a lower rate.
The enclosed report, which was compiled by the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) in association with Ian Condliffe and Pareto Consulting, has identified a number of options for Land Classification and has identified some related issues which will require resolution. Your views are therefore sought on the key points which are listed overleaf though these do not preclude you from making comments on any other aspects of the report findings.
Submissions, including names and addresses of respondents, may be made public unless confidentiality is specifically requested. All comments should be received by DAFF no later than 20th August 2008.
They should be sent to:
Your comments are sought on the following issues presented in the Report “Definition of Land Classes for a Flat-Rate Decoupled Support Payment Scheme” :
- Land Classification options
Four options are considered in the report:
- Above and below the mountain wall
- A Manx “Mountain Line”
- Land capability classification system
- Land with limited agricultural potential
In consultation with the Industry Advisory Committee (Industry Working Party created to advise the Minister on the development of the Countryside Care Scheme), DAFF believes that Option 2: A Manx Mountain Line provides the most appropriate way forward for classifying land.
Do you agree that option 2 is the most useful and appropriate way of classifying land in the Isle of Man?
- Definition of Mountain Line
The mountain line would be used to differentiate between improved land and land covered by moorland vegetation. These would attract different rates of area payment.
Moorland is defined as “land with predominantly semi-natural upland vegetation, or comprised predominantly of rock outcrops and semi-natural upland vegetation, used primarily for rough grazing, including enclosed land such as allotments, ffridd or reverted in-bye”. To suit conditions on the Isle of Man, the report suggests that the following is added to the above definition: “all land of “mountain” character that is above 200m altitude and land below 200m altitude of mountain character that is contiguous with land of mountain character above 200m altitude”.
In addition, the report suggests that a size restriction be included for the land below 200m but contiguous with that of mountain character. The proposed area is 20ha or 50 acres and that its vegetation type would be verified “on the ground” before a payment rate was set.
What is your view on the following:
- The addition of the 200m contour line to the definition of moorland will assist the process of land classification (option 2) and therefore that this should be adopted
- The inclusion of a size restriction on the land below 200m that can be included in a definition of moorland, subject to verification of vegetation type, will assist the process of land classification (option 2) and therefore should be adopted.
- Appeals
An appeals process has been defined and includes land classification decisions together with other aspects of Countryside Care including the National Reserve. It was approved by the Industry Advisory Committee on 18 July and details will shortly be available on http://www.gov/im/daff/consultations/industry_ac.xml
Your comments are invited on the appeals process as it relates to Land Classification decisions.
Appendix 1 & 2
These provide details of definitions which are used in England. The report suggests that these could be used for application in the Isle of Man.
What is your view of the applicability of the definitions used in England to the situation in the Isle of Man?
Appendix 4Comments are only required on the applicability of either the system used in England and Wales or the one developed for Scotland if you feel that option 3, a Land Capability Classification system should be used to classify land on the Isle of Man.
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