This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Consultation on environment support
06/03/2003
A consultation on proposed improvements to support
schemes for environmentally-friendly farming was launched
today.
Proposed changes to the Rural Stewardship and Organic
Aid schemes are designed to build on changes already
introduced for 2003, and take forward the delivery of the
Executive's Organic Action Plan that was published in
February.
The consultation represents a further stage in the
development of Scotland's agri-environment schemes.
The consultation paper seeks views on proposals to
address three policy priorities for agri-environment
schemes:
(i) options for continued agri-environment support for
farmers and crofters leaving the Environmentally Sensitive
Area (ESA) Schemes on completion of their 10-year
agreement;
(ii) proposals for improvements in the Executive support
for conversion to organic farming, taking forward the
Organic Action Plan published on 4 February; and
(iii) changes to the Rural Stewardship Scheme in
recognition of recommendations in 'Custodians of
Change'.
The first raft of 10-year ESA agreements will begin to
expire in May 2003. During the course of 2003 a total of 29
ESA Scheme agreements will come to the end of their 10-year
duration. The ESA Schemes have been successful in
delivering environmental benefits and support for the rural
economy, particularly in some of Scotland's more remote
areas. The Executive's main vehicle for supporting
environmentally-friendly farming is now the Rural
Stewardship Scheme and the consultation paper sets out
three options by which ESA Scheme leavers may be given
access to the RSS.
Following a consultation exercise undertaken in March
2002 the Executive has improved the targeting of the
Organic Aid Scheme and now seeks views on further proposals
to improve its operation and targeting, in line with the
proposals in the Organic Action Plan. This will include
consideration of the case for maintenance payments for
organic farmers beyond the conversion period and support
for professional advice in drawing up conversion
proposals.
The proposed changes to the Rural Stewardship Scheme are
designed to promote collaborative action to enhance the
impact the Scheme can make on promoting biodiversity,
addressing diffuse pollution issues and securing
landscape-scale visual impacts, as recommended in the
'Custodians of Change' Report.
The closing date for responses is May 30, 2003.