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Arable Areas Payment Scheme

06/08/2002

Scottish farmers can expect payments of £119 million under the 2002 Arable Area Payments Scheme, it was announced today.

Minister for Environment and Rural Development Ross Finnie said:

"Despite an overshoot in Scottish claims estimated at 3.2 per cent payments to our farmers will amount to approximately £119 million between now and March next year. This is £3 million more than last year, and will be particularly welcome to the arable sector.

"While some claims have yet to be fully analysed, it is already clear that the overshoot is in the region of 3.2 per cent compared with the final overshoot figure of 4.44 per cent in 2001."

The 1993 non-LFA overshoot was 5.4 per cent. Penalties were reduced to 0.54 per cent (10 per cent of the original penalty) following an agreement reached at the EC Agriculture Council in December 1993. There was an overshoot of 3.5 per cent in the non-LFA in 1994; penalties were reduced to 0.7 per cent (20 per cent of the original penalty) under the December 1993 agreement. There was an overshoot of 3.7 per cent in the non-LFA in 1995; penalties were reduced to 1.85 per cent (50 per cent of the original penalty) under the December 1993 agreement.

There were overshoots of 4.4 per cent, 7.1 per cent, 7.6 per cent and 6.75 per cent respectively in the non-LFA in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999; penalties were applied in full. In 2000, there was a 2.25% overshoot against the Scottish base area, i.e. the first year when the LFA and non-LFA base areas were combined to establish a single overshoot percentage for Scotland as a whole; and in 2001 there was a 4.44% overshoot.

AAPS payments to Scottish farmers totalled £93m in 1993, £115m in 1994, £150m in 1995, £148m in 1996, £142m in 1997, £138m in 1998, £136m in 1999, £122m in 2000, and £119 m in 2001. The figure for 2002 is again expected to be in the region of £119m.

The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department will issue the vast majority of payments for cereals, linseed, oilseeds, protein crops, flax and hemp, and set-aside in the period 16 November-31 January.

The unpenalised payment rates for 2002 (to the nearest penny) are set out below. Final payment rates will be set when the precise scale of the overshoot has been determined.

Cereals - 211.36 (LFA - £/ha); 230.02 (Non-LFA - £/ha)

Linseed - 211.36 (LFA - £/ha); 230.02 (Non-LFA - £/ha)

Oilseeds - 211.36 (LFA - £/ha); 230.02 (Non-LFA - £/ha)

Flax- 211.36 (LFA - £/ha); 230.02 (Non-LFA - £/ha)

Hemp- 211.36 (LFA - £/ha); 230.02 (Non-LFA - £/ha)

Protein Crops - 243.23 (LFA - £/ha); 264.71 (Non-LFA - £/ha)

Set-aside - 211.36 (LFA - £/ha); 230.02 (Non-LFA - £/ha)

Set-aside (guaranteed rate) - 230.92 (LFA - £/ha); 251.31 (Non-LFA - £/ha)

Page updated: Thursday, July 22, 2004