This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding of organic aid scheme applications
13/03/2003
Farmers and crofters keen to convert to organic
production in Scotland will benefit from payments totalling
£2 million under the Organic Aid Scheme from next year, it
was announced today.
Minister for Environment and Rural Development Ross
Finnie said:
"This funding illustrates the Executive's commitment to
the development of a prosperous and sustainable organic
sector in Scotland.
"We are already planning for the future, and went out to
consultation this week on changes to the agri-environment
schemes in Scotland with a view to seeing what further can
be achieved through financial assistance to promote
organics in Scotland."
The Organic Aid Scheme was introduced in 1994 and
provides payments over a five year period to encourage
farmers to convert their enterprise to organic production
methods.
The 2002 awards will enable farmers and crofters to
convert 2462.19 hectares of land eligible under the Arable
Aid Payments Scheme, 2103.42 hectares of improved grassland
and 3806.91 of rough grazing totalling 8372.52 hectares of
land for the benefit of the environment and enhance the
organic cause.
Awards are funded from modulation of a proportion of
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies (3% this year)
and Treasury match-funding, thus doubling the value of
modulation to the farming industry.
Sixty-four applications with a total value of £2.4m were
submitted this year. Awards are made in respect of those
applications which deliver the best environmental gain,
marketing vision and value for money, scoring 40 points or
more in the ranking system that was introduced for the
first time in 2002.
The 54 applications being offered approval this year are
funded for five years. This represents 84 per cent entry
acceptance.
This release was published on 14/03/2003