The James Hutton Institute
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THE STATE OF SCOTLAND'S FARMED ENVIRONMENT 2005
19. Land Management Contract MENU SCHEME
Uptake
The LMC Menu Scheme was introduced for the first time in 2005 and provisional information released by SEERAD (2005b) indicates that about 10,200 farmers have applied under the various options available in the menu representing just under half of all farmers applying under the Single Farm Payment Scheme (Tier 1). This will direct £17 million to farm households financed through modulation of the Single Farm Payment Scheme. The biggest interest and highest uptake has been for a quality assurance scheme, participation in an animal health and welfare programme, improving access and protection of linear landscape features such as dykes and hedges . Conversely, low uptakes have been received for measures such as biodiversity cropping on in-bye, off-farm talks and management of moorland grazing . Table 19.2 summarises the different measures, number of applicants and the projected amount to be spent.
Table 19.2 : Uptake of measures under the LMC Menu Scheme (2005)
|
Measure | No of applicants | Projected spend (in £k) | Area managed (in ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Animal health and welfare programme |
3949 |
2500 |
- |
2 |
Membership of quality assurance scheme |
7548 |
850 |
- |
3 |
Training |
1807 |
780 |
- |
4 |
Farm and woodland visits |
406 |
150 |
- |
5 |
Off-farm talks |
275 |
50 |
- |
6 |
Buffer areas |
880 |
25 |
1230 |
7 |
Management of linear features |
4511 |
2936 |
8216 km |
8 |
Management of moorland grazing |
233 |
196 |
196,000 |
9 |
Management of rush pasture |
1751 |
2060 |
16,500 |
10 |
Biodiversity cropping in-bye |
58 |
7 |
124 |
11 |
Retention of winter stubbles |
1050 |
675 |
16,900 |
12 |
Wild bird seed mixture |
371 |
160 |
490 |
13 |
Summer grazing of cattle |
419 |
173 |
173,000 |
14 |
Nutrient management |
663 |
186 |
93,000 |
15 |
Improving access |
4145 |
6885 |
2400 km |
16 |
Woodland plan |
185 |
31 |
3000 |
17 |
Farm woodland management |
162 |
30 |
1000 |
Evaluation
A key element of the LMC Menu Scheme is that there is a free choice as to which measures farmers can apply for. Although consideration was given by SEERAD (in a public consultation) to having some restriction on the choice this has been rejected. The advantage is that such a “free choice menu” approach could potentially allow farmers to incorporate aspects that account for the specific characteristics and structure of their farms. On the other hand, there is a risk that a spatially inconsistent distributed menu of different measures reduces the potential benefit of the scheme. LMCMS applicants, if the application concerns land of an agricultural business, have to adhere to Cross Compliance requirements, as Cross Compliance does apply on all land in agricultural business. Moreover, recipients must adhere to Good Farming Practice. No data of the regional breakdown are available at this stage, but information on the spatial distribution is expected to be available later this year.
Given that the LMC Menu Scheme has just been introduced at the beginning of 2005, it is not possible to assess environmental benefits contributed by this scheme at this time. The ability to evaluate the impact and success of the LMC Menu Scheme will strongly depend on future monitoring systems of the scheme and the implementation of land management plans.
Sources
- SEERAD (2005a): Land Management Contracts: The LMC Menu Scheme 2005. External Website
- SEERAD (2005b): Land Management Contract Menu Scheme. News Release.
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