The Department of Agriculture announced last week that it has launched a new facility where farmers can check their stocking rate for 2021 and the year to date in 2022 via agfood.ie.

A farm’s stocking rate will have a much greater influence on farm schemes and payments under the CAP strategic plan 2023-2027.

These are summarised below.

Areas of natural constraint

The Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) Scheme is expected to follow in the same format as the existing scheme, with applicants required to satisfy a minimum stocking rate across the calendar year and also across a seven-month retention period.

The one significant change is that the minimum stocking rate required has been reduced from 0.15 livestock units (LU) per hectare to 0.1 LU/ha.

However, in essence, the stocking rate has not changed significantly, with the LU coefficients or values reducing for many classes of livestock, while others have been introduced. This is detailed in Table 1, while the existing values are detailed in Table 2.

The number of bovine categories has been expanded from two to six categories, with this change also reflecting the higher level of organic nitrogen and phosphorus excretion from dairy cows based on nitrates figures.

The livestock unit values of a suckler cow have, in turn, been reduced, along with heifers aged in excess of two years.

Breeding mares are eligible for contributing to the stocking rate calculation and will be awarded a lower LU value of 0.8, with the same proviso remaining that mares must have produced a foal in the previous two years.

It is proposed that only 50% of the stocking rate requirement can continue to be fulfilled by donkeys. Meanwhile, deer will be subject to an on-farm inspection by the Department.

Active farmer check

To receive payments under the next CAP, farmers must be deemed an “active” farmer. The Department states the objective of the active farmer check is to “ensure the person receiving the scheme payments is the person farming the land being claimed”.

A number of criteria will be used to establish if a farmer satisfies this check, with a farm’s stocking rate the first port of call. Farmers can satisfy the active farmer check by meeting a minimum stocking rate of 0.1LU/ha.

A caveat to this stocking density is where a lower stocking rate may be justified on environmental grounds, similar to the current process under the ANC.

Farmers who do not satisfy the active farmer check based on the minimum stocking rate will have the opportunity to satisfy it by proving other agricultural activities are being carried out.

In relation to grassland farmers who maintain their lands by non-grazing means, they will be asked to indicate how land is maintained and be in a position to provide evidence to support this declaration.

Examples listed include the making of hay or silage and in such cases, the Department has previously specified that documentation such as the purchase of fertiliser/plastic wrap or proof of payments made to cover contracting costs or received for sold forages may be required to prove agricultural activity.

Greater scrutiny

Information may also be required on specific parcels of lands such as commonage parcels, for example.

Here, questions raised may include if the farm holding has suitable animals present to graze such terrain, or where an applicant is claiming on land parcels which are located a long distance from the main farming hub, checks may be in place to see that lands are actively farmed.

What constitutes a “long” distance is not outlined in the documentation, but it is likely that it ties in with situations which have occurred in the past, where farmers leasing commonage ground for nitrates purposes.

Topping is also listed as an agricultural activity, as is maintaining landscape features, but there is no further information available on these options.

It is envisaged that a percentage of farmers involved in tillage and/or permanent crops will be subject to administrative checks annually and may be required to provide evidence of activity.

For tillage farmers, this will likely include documentation such as receipts for seed, fertiliser, pesticides (if applicable), etc.

Eco scheme considerations

Two of the proposed eco schemes in the next CAP will also be governed by stocking rates. The measure, extensive livestock production agricultural practice, will be available to farmers who have a stocking rate of between 0.1LU/ha and 1.4LU/ha.

The Department states that an enhanced option will be available, counting for two eco-scheme practices where the stocking rate is maintained between 0.1LU/ha and 1.2LU/ha.

A farm’s stocking rate will also be used for the eco-scheme measure limiting chemical nitrogen usage. Farmers participating in the measure will be presented with a chemical nitrogen limit in 2023 based on their 2022 stocking rate (Table 3).

This stocking rate will be calculated based on nitrates excretion levels for different categories of animals, as opposed to the livestock unit coefficients used in Table 1.

Land eligibility changes

There is one other change farmers need to be aware of. It is proposed that from 1 January 2023, land eligibility rules will change to allow an eligible parcel contain features which are classified as beneficial to the climate, environment, biodiversity and water quality.

Where the area of these features is less than 30% of the total parcel area, the whole parcel area will be deemed eligible.

The Department has stated this week that there must be an agricultural activity within the land parcel for it to be deemed eligible, with this activity either producing food or crops or maintaining the land in a state suitable for production, with practices such as topping or mulching outlined as options.

This may alter the required stocking rate and farmers also need information on this topic as soon as possible.

Flexibility in 2023

The Department explains that maximum flexibility will be afforded to farmers while the new schemes are bedding in and in this regard, farmers will be able to use their 2023 stocking rate.

Note, however, that if this avenue is being availed of, it may result in scheme payments for the 2023 scheme year not being issued until March 2024.

The Department has also launched a stocking rate calculator on www.agriculture.gov.ie.