Scottish Government

Following recent approval by the European Commission of changes to the SRDP, Land Mangers Options has been revised for 2011.

Changes are as follows -

• option 9, Wild bird seed mix/unharvested crop is amended to allow plot rotation and the application of pesticides only with the prior written agreement of Scottish Ministers
• option 11, Summer cattle grazing is amended to increase the payment rate to £1.95 per hectare per year
• option 13, Management of linear features - hedgerows and hedgerow trees, is amended to require a different section of hedge to be cut each year so that all hedges are cut in rotation
• option 14, Management of grass margins and beetlebanks is amended to add an additional payment rate of £407.92 per hectare per year for 'management only' of grass margins etc; to reduce the minimum width of a grass margin where it is to benefit hen harriers etc; to remove a requirement to create a sterile strip, and to allow the application of pesticides only with the prior written agreement of Scottish Ministers
• option 15, Biodiversity cropping on in-bye is amended to allow the application of pesticides only with the prior written agreement of Scottish Ministers
• option 16, Management of conservation headlands is amended to allow the application of pesticides including fungicides, only with the prior written agreement of Scottish Ministers
• option 17, Retention of winter stubbles is amended so that
• pre-harvest desiccants must not be applied
• post-harvest pesticides must not be applied except with the prior written agreement of Scottish Ministers
• the requirement that herbicides and insecticides must not be applied without Scottish Ministers agreement up to the end of February each year, has been removed
• option 21, Active management to improve the condition of sites of archaeological or historic interest and option 22, Active management to improve the condition of vernacular rural buildings, are amended to specify additional ineligible management work; to clarify the requirement for maintaining photographic records, and to remove the provision allowing applicants to claim own labour hours and machinery costs
• option 23, Animal welfare management programme is amended to make changes and clarifications to 3 of the specific actions to improve welfare: Maintaining bodily condition; Control and prevention of diarrhoea and pneumonia, and Liver fluke control
• two new options are added -
• option 24, Natural regeneration after cereals
• option 25, Maintenance of organic farming