To be eligible under the Single Payment Scheme, an applicant must ensure that all agricultural land claimed is maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition (‘GAEC’).
Farmers can keep grassland in GAEC by conducting an agricultural activity on it such as grazing, harvesting forage crops, or by topping. Grasslands continue to be eligible where it is evident that the stocking rate on the land is sufficient and, for example, keeps rushes under control and avoids their proliferation. In such situations, the reality is there may not be a necessity to cut rushes. However, where a farmer cuts rushes as part of management practice, with the exception of certain designated lands, there are no restrictions on when this is done, enabling the task to be carried out at any time throughout the year once conditions are suitable.
Where land is deemed ineligible, this, in the main, is a result of the inclusion of ineligible areas/features and is not being used for an agricultural purpose. In cases where land, with rushes, is rejected, it will be seen that this is due to the broader issue of insufficient agricultural activity being undertaken on it to keep it in GAEC. My Department therefore does not maintain records specifically on the presence of rushes since the issue has to be seen in the broader context.
In terms of the conduct of inspections, my Department makes appropriate allowances for the effect of prevailing weather conditions in individual cases.
