More incentive for single farm payment claimants to plant new woodland

Single Farm Payment claimants wishing to create new woodland on their lands can now also avail of forestry grants.

The recent CAP Health Check has resulted in a number of important and beneficial rule changes for those claiming Single Farm Payment (SFP) who wish to create new woodland.

From 1 January 2009, land on which SFP was claimed and paid in 2008 and is subsequently converted to woodland under an EU forestry grant scheme automatically remains eligible for SFP for the duration of the forestry scheme.

This is particularly important for those wishing to join the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS) which provides an annual payment for a maximum of 15 years to compensate for agricultural income foregone by creating woodland. The change will allow them to continue to receive SFP as well as the FWPS annual forestry payments.

Short Rotation Coppice planted under the Short Rotation Coppice 2007 Scheme is now also eligible for SFP.

The changes mean that the previous consolidation mechanism is no longer required. Instead the land is declared on the Single Application Form (SAF) Field Data Sheet to claim SFP entitlements as appropriate.

Commenting on these changes, David Small, Forest Service Chief Executive said: “We expect that these changes will help increase interest and demand in creating more woodland and forests so that we can all enjoy their many benefits. These important changes, which are administratively much simpler for the landowner compared to the previous arrangements, will allow more landowners to consider new woodland creation as an alternative land use.”

Anyone with a Single Farm Payment query should contact Single Farm Payment Section on 028 7131 9900. If the query is related to any of the forestry grant schemes, contact the Forest Service on 028 9076 5391.

Notes to Editors

1. The two most popular forestry grant schemes are the Woodland Grant Scheme, which provides financial assistance towards the establishment of new woodland, and the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS), which provides an annual payment for a maximum of 15 years to compensate for agricultural income foregone by creating woodland.
2. Short Rotation Coppice is a specialised form of forestry that involves growing high yielding willow planted at close spacing and harvested every three years.
3. Land in woodland prior to 1 January 2009 remains ineligible for SFP except in very specific circumstances where it is deemed grazable or it was used to successfully claim SFP in 2008 in respect of set-aside entitlements.
4. Further details of Forestry Grant Schemes are available by phoning Forest Service on 02890 765391 or through the Forest Service website.
5. For specific Single Farm Payment queries contact: Grants and Subsidies Branch, Single Farm Payments Section, Orchard House, Derry / Londonderry Tel: 028 7131 9900.
6. All media queries to DARD Press Office on 028 9052 4619. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.