Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013

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Appendix Agri-environment Statistics

Table 2.4: Average agri-environment payments and number of recipients

Average Payments by NUTS 3 Region

CPS

OAS

RSS

ESA

Total1

Payment

Recipients

Payment

Recipients

Payment

Recipients

Payment

Recipients

Payment

Recipients

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire & NE Moray

2,861

173

5,932

44

4,389

664

5,143

28

4,196

909

Lochaber, Skye & Lochalsh and Argyll & the Islands

5,115

157

5,838

37

3,227

264

3,762

319

3,952

777

Shetland Islands

0

0

3,438

16

1,929

14

3,052

724

3,040

754

Dumfries & Galloway

3,130

100

7,307

75

3,708

195

5,997

349

5,114

719

Borders

3,593

86

8,985

66

5,351

302

5,090

245

5,386

699

Perth & Kinross and Stirling

4,008

120

9,935

62

3,963

243

4,309

139

4,715

564

Western Isles

7,353

17

*

*

2,167

54

1,653

372

*

*

Caithness & Sutherland and Ross & Cromarty

3,962

105

7,150

20

4,097

236

0

0

4,227

361

Inverness & Nairn and Moray, Badenoch & Strathspey

5,345

29

7,818

22

4,548

126

5,620

121

5,302

298

South Lanarkshire

4,000

43

6,615

39

3,694

85

7,476

63

5,283

230

Orkney Islands

3,667

102

5,500

6

4,769

108

*

*

*

*

E & North Ayrshire Mainland

2,947

19

4,889

9

4,769

91

*

*

*

*

East & Midlothian

3,156

32

10,231

13

5,417

72

0

0

5,333

117

South Ayrshire

3,067

15

*

*

4,776

58

4,000

39

*

*

Clackmannanshire & Fife

3,317

41

0

*

3,261

69

0

0

*

*

Angus & Dundee City

4,071

28

0

*

4,889

63

0

0

*

*

E & W Dunbartonshire & Helensburgh & Lomond

4,000

10

0

*

3,107

28

4,179

28

*

*

Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire & Renfrewshire

3,600

20

*

*

3,526

19

0

0

*

*

North Lanarkshire

*

*

*

*

2,286

7

0

0

*

*

Falkirk

*

*

0

0

2,500

6

0

0

*

*

West Lothian

3,200

5

0

*

0

*

0

0

*

*

City of Edinburgh

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Glasgow City

0

0

0

0

*

*

0

0

*

*

Scotland Total

3,819

1,117

7,573

443

4,230

2,713

3,945

2,452

4,278

6,725

1. Total refers to the value for grant application. Numbers of recipient farms may be less if the farm has been awarded funds under more than 1 scheme. This has not been accounted for in the statistics.

  • Figures suppressed for confidentiality. Total average payment and number of recipients not able to be calculated without the suppressed figures.

General Requirements on Participants

Participants to all the agri-environment schemes are required to conform to the Standard of Good Agricultural Practice ( SGAP), along with a range of General Environmental Conditions ( GEC's). Participants are advised of these when accepted into the scheme. Under SGAP there are 13 verifiable standards that have a legal basis which are required to be adhered to during participation in the agri-environment scheme.

The detail of COGAP and the GEC's are available within the scheme literature but some examples of their actions include:

  • Managing grazing on rough grazings, unimproved grassland, machair and dune grassland, wetlands and native, amenity or semi-natural woodlands to ensure no over or under grazing
  • No application of pesticides, lime, fertiliser (inc. farmyard manure and slurry) on rough grazings, unimproved grassland, machair and dune grassland, wetlands, water margins, and native, amenity or semi-natural woodlands.
  • No new drainage works, ploughing, clearing, levelling, reseeding or cultivating on the above areas. In addition, livestock must be managed to avoid poaching.
  • Control of injurious weeds
  • Carry out muirburn in accordance with approved guidelines
  • Avoid damaging features or areas of historic or archaeological interest
  • Follow the code of good practice for the prevention of pollution from agricultural activity
  • Limitations on timing of hedge cutting
  • Notify SNH of any potentially damaging operations on SSSI land
  • Ensure that SEPA are informed of any new silage or slurry storage facilities and that they are informed before sheep dip is disposed on your land

Whilst there is no specific payment made to farmers who sign up to these conditions, it is clear that they create an overall additional environmental benefit on top of the specific annual and capital scheme measures funded through the SRDP.

Page updated: Friday, July 20, 2007