Single farm payment: consultation on national reserve - UK - Options for a National Reserve and the initial allocation of entitlements under the new Single Farm Payment scheme in England were published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Today's consultation paper seeks views on:

• how a National Reserve should operate.
• criteria for the initial allocation for entitlements in certain hardship cases

The reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) agreed in June 2003 provided for a National Reserve to allow the allocation of entitlements (the right to subsidy per hectare), on application, to some farmers who do not otherwise qualify for the historic element of the payment.

The government also needs to consider how to apply the minimum occupancy requirement of ten months which ensures that claimed-for land meets cross-compliance requirements for an appropriate period.

Proposals for new cross-compliance conditions linked to the Single Farm Payment have already been published.

For copies of the consultation document see: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/capnational-reserve/index.htm

Source: Defra - 2nd April 2004