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THE RURAL STEWARDSHIP SCHEME

Section 2 Eligibility

2.1 Is my business eligible to make an application?

An eligible business must occupy and have control over agricultural land. Farmers, crofters or grazing clerks in this category are eligible to apply. A landlord can apply only for land that is in hand or let out on a seasonal basis. The participant will be responsible for ensuring all Scheme requirements are met for at least 5 years. If any land included in your agreement is leased out on a seasonal basis, you will be responsible for ensuring that the Scheme requirements are met on that land.

The eligibility criteria used to define an eligible business under IACS-related schemes will be used to determine the eligibility of the agricultural business. It is not necessary to have applied for or to intend to apply for any IACS schemes to be eligible under RSS. All agricultural businesses without a BRN will have one allocated for RSS purposes.

For the purposes of RSS, "agriculture" is defined in the Scheme Regulations as including "horticulture, fruit growing, seed growing, dairy farming, livestock breeding or keeping, the use of land as grazing land, meadowland, osier land, reed beds, market gardens and nursery grounds".

This means, for example, that land used as an orchard would be eligible, but that land used exclusively for grazing horses kept for non-agricultural purposes, and no other livestock, would be ineligible.

2.2 What about Crofters' Common Grazings?

Grazing Clerks or others acting on behalf of a Grazings Committee can apply in respect of Common grazings in addition to individual crofters who may apply in respect of their individual croft lands. There are additional requirements for applications on behalf of Common Grazings Committees. For more details, please refer to the next Section of this booklet.

2.3 What if I have already joined another Agri-environment Scheme?

If you have already joined another agri-environment scheme, you can also apply to join the RSS but you cannot receive annual management payments for the same management on the same land from both Schemes.

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