Set-aside FAQ
Page replaced: 22 September 2006
1. How much set-aside should a farmer have in 2007?
A. Your set-aside obligation will be determined by the number of set-aside entitlements you hold on 15 May 2007. This will be based upon the number of set-aside entitlements you were allocated adjusted to take account of any transfers of set-aside entitlements that you have undertaken.
If you hold set-aside entitlements in more than one English area, you must set aside an equivalent amount of land in those areas. If you are allocated set-aside entitlements in more than one UK region, you must set aside the equivalent amount of land in those regions and follow the appropriate set-aside management conditions for those regions.
If you have good reason to believe that the number of set-aside entitlements shown on your latest entitlement statement is not correct, you may choose to set-aside the same number of hectares that you were obligated to set-aside in 2005, adjusted to take account of any transfers of set-aside entitlements that you may have undertaken and any amendments made due to the changes in eligibility rules of permanent crops and set-aside land. However, you do so at your own risk. If it is found that you have set-aside insufficient land, your SPS payment may be reduced, and, if applicable, area penalties will be applied.
2. Is a farmer allowed to transfer set-aside entitlements out of his/her business?
A. Set-aside entitlements are allowed to be transferred to other farmers in the same way as other entitlements, further information can be found in the RLE 1 guidance notes.
3. A farmer wants to set aside a little more than his set-aside requirement as insurance to allow for a margin of error in his calculations. How should he record and manage this land?
A. In general the same rules apply as in 2006, (please note the codes or columns stated below are for 2006 and may be different on the 2007 application form) any additional land not in agricultural production that you wish to treat as insurance set-aside should be coded OT2 and managed according to GAEC 12 and set-aside management rules. (Advice on meeting these standards is available from Momenta by calling 0845 345 1302 or from their web site www.crosscompliance.org.uk.)
Please note that where farmers are growing non food crops on set-aside land any area within a field over the set-aside area cannot be counted as OT2 as it is growing a crop and is therefore not classified as GAEC12 (land not in agricultural production). It must be coded according to the relevant crop grown.
More detailed advice on particular situations is given below through reference to a number of examples:
The farmer has a land parcel 8.05 ha in area and 8 set-aside entitlements. He manages the entire area as set-aside. He puts 8 ha in column C10 of his field data sheet and uses code SA1 for column C8. The remaining 0.05 ha is below the minimum size of 0.1 ha to be recorded as a split parcel and so is not separately identified on the field data sheet. The farmer then finds the row in section E on which his set-aside entitlements are recorded and either enters 8 ha in column E6 or ticks the ‘all’ box – either would show that he wishes to activate all 8 set-aside entitlements.
The farmer has a field 8.1 ha in area and 8 set-aside entitlements. He can split the field into 2 separate land parcels and should do so if he wishes to use the additional 0.1 ha to activate part of a normal entitlement. If he does not wish to claim payment on the additional area, he would not be penalised for simply recording 8 ha in column C10 without splitting the field and using that area to activate his set-aside entitlements in part E. The field should be managed under a regime that would be compatible with both set-aside and GAEC12.
The farmer has a land parcel 8.25 ha in area and 8 set-aside entitlements. He wishes to use the additional 0.25 ha to activate normal entitlements, but to manage the whole 8.25 ha as fallow. He enters the field as 2 split parcels on his field data sheet: 8 ha is coded as SA1 and entered as 8 ha in column c10; 0.25 ha is coded as OT2 and entered as 0.25 ha in column 10. He uses 8 ha to activate set-aside entitlements in Part E of the application form and 0.25 ha to activate normal entitlements. The 8 ha block must be managed as set-aside; the 0.25 ha must be managed according to GAEC 12. The entire 8.25 ha could be managed under a common regime that would satisfy the requirements for both set-aside and GAEC12, which would also allow the 0.25 ha to be used as “insurance” set-aside if required.
4. Will a sketch map be required to show this insurance land?
A. Yes, a sketch map should be submitted to show where a field is split between land meeting the set-aside requirement and extra insurance land.
5. Can horses, including pet horses, be grazed on set-aside land?
A. No. Horses, pet or otherwise cannot be grazed on set-aside during the set-aside period.
6. Can I control weeds on my set-aside land?
A. You may use herbicides or cutting to control aggressive weeds, crop volunteers or vigorous growth. Please consult Paragraphs 77 to 85 of the 2006 Set-Aside Handbook for the specific rules and dates for apply individual treatments.
7. When will I receive my NFC/ENC 9 form to declare the harvested yield from my non-food set-aside crop, and what is the deadline for returning this form to the RPA?
A. Forms will be sent to the relevant applicants by the end of October and made available on the RPA website. The deadline for the submission of the form is 9 February 2007. However, we recommend that the form is returned to us as soon as possible to enable us to process non-food applications as early as possible.
Contact information
If you cannot find the answer to your question here, then please ring
the Customer Service Centre on 0845 603 7777.
If your enquiry is not urgent please e-mail us at CSC@rpa.gsi.gov.uk or write to us at:
Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 1058
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE99 4YQ
Page published: 8 December 2011
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