GLAS 3

One topic that has recurred again and again at our Commonage meetings is the continuing belief that AEOS participants can see out their contracts and then join GLAS. This is incorrect, of course farmers can see out their AEOS contract but they if they choose to do this they must appreciate that the last opportunity to join GLAS will be this Autumn and their decision to stick with AEOS means they will have missed the boat. If you do not join GLAS this Autumn there will be no scheme available to you when your AEOS contract finishes.

Lets look at the impact of this on participants in AEOS 1, 2 & 3 respectively. 

AEOS 1 participants joined that scheme in the summer of 2010, they got a contract running until the end of 2016. They will be finishing that contract this year and can have a seam less transition into GLAS. 

AEOS 2 participants joined that scheme in 2011 and have a contract that will run until the end of 2017, if they stay in AEOS they will lose out on upto €25,000 in GLAS for the sake of a maximum of €4,000 in AEOS.

AEOS 3 participants who choose to stay in that scheme will be opting for a maximum payout in AEOS of €8,000 in preference to upto €25,000 in GLAS. 

Obviously this is a decision for the individual farmer and there may well be other reasons that may  be relevant to them. But from a financial perspective this is a no brainer, if you do not join GLAS this time around the door will have closed on that scheme and you may have to wait for many years before another agri - environment scheme becomes available.

On a separate note we are continuing to make good progress on completing commonage fieldwork. A list of the commonages that we deal with is given below. Of the remaining sites most are commonages with GLAS 2 applicants only and which were only allocated to us in the last few weeks. It remains our intention to have all of these completed  before the end of September. 

County	Commonage	Status
Clare	Coastal
Galway	Courhoor	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Maw	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Cloughaunard
Galway	Doon	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Fahy
Galway	Ballyconneely
Galway	Ardkyle	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Lettergesh East	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Lettergesh East	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Toombeola
Galway	Murvey	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Cuilleen
Galway	Glynsk	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Letterdeskert
Galway	Ardmore	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Callowfinish	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Kilkieran	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Letterpibrum	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Shannawirra	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Kylesalia	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Loughaconeera	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Glennagevlagh	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Crumlin East	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Dooghta	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Ballyweeaun	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Boocaun	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Glentrasna	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Lettermore	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Lugganaffrin	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Shanvally	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Halfcarton	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Knockadav	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Oorid	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Shannavarra	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Turlough	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Turlough	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Camus Oughter	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Kinvarra	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Bealadangan	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Bealadangan	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Lettercallow	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Lettermore	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Maumeen	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Barraderry	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Carrowroe North	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Carraroe North	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Carrowroe West	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Clynagh	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Derrynea	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Keeraunbeg	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Muckanaghederdauhaulia	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Ballynahown North	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Cartronlahan	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Inveran	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Knockadoagh	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Minna	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Minna	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Tully	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Bovroughaun	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Cornarona	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Loughaunbeg	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Shannapheasteen	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Shannapheasteen	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Shannapheasteen	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Boliska Eighter
Galway	Killagoola	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Newtown	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Oghery	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Billymore Or Carrowntober	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Cloghermore	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Cloghermore	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Lettercraffroe	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Maghera More	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Rushveala	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Shannadullaghaun	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Callownamuck
Galway	Gortacarnaun	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Ower
Galway	Derryloughan East
Galway	Coldwood Or Foorkill	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Turloughmore Common	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Addergoole	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Annaghdown	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Barranny	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Coteenty	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Coteenty	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Beagh More	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Big Island	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Cloghaun	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Kilbeg	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Gortnagleav	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Kilnagappagh	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Cullenagh	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Cullenagh	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Derrybrien East	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Derrybrien East	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Knockauncarragh	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Keelderry	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Carrigeen East	Fieldwork Complete
Galway	Carrigeen West	Fieldwork Complete
Mayo	Glencally	Fieldwork Complete
Mayo	Erriff	Fieldwork Complete
Mayo	Letterass	Fieldwork Complete
Mayo	Lettermaglinskin	Fieldwork Complete
Wicklow	Brockagh	Fieldwork Complete
Wicklow	Seven Churches	Fieldwork Complete
Wicklow	Cullentragh Big	Fieldwork Complete
Sligo	Farranaharpy
Tipperary	Curreeny

AEOS, Should you transfer to GLAS now?

AEOS was introduced in 2010 as a replacement scheme for REPS.  Both in terms of its aspirations and payments it fell well short of its predecessor.  Nevertheless the scheme opened for applications in 2010, 2011 and again in 2012.  Over the three rounds of the scheme approx 26,000 farmers joined.

AEOS has now been replaced by the new GLAS scheme.  This scheme will open later this month and the Dept. of Agriculture hope to fill up to 30,000 places this year.  A further 20,000 places will become available over the following two years.  For commonage farmers who are out of contract the decision to apply in 2015 will be relatively easy.  For farmers who are still in AEOS the situation is more complicated.  They will be allowed to transfer to the new scheme in 2015 but what are the factors that farmers should consider in making this decision. I believe every farmer in this position should consider the following issues before making up their mind.

·             Transition into GLAS

·             Access to the new scheme.

·             Full term in the GLAS scheme.

·             Input into the Commonage Management Plan.

·             Costs.

Transition into GLAS

For AEOS 1 farmers, i.e. people who joined AEOS in 2010, their contracts will finish at the end of 2015.  If they transfer to GLAS this year they will be paid AEOS for 9 months and GLAS for the remaining 3 months.  They will get a full year’s payments in 2015.  If they wait until 2016 to join GLAS they will get a full year’s AEOS payment in 2015 but in 2016 they will only be paid for 3 months in GLAS.  They will have lost the opportunity to have a seamless transition from one scheme to the next.  There are transaction costs associated with joining GLAS but delaying until 2016 means that those costs will be at their highest when their payments are at their lowest.  For this group joining GLAS in 2015 ensures a seamless transition to the new scheme with no break in payments.

For farmers in AEOS 2 & 3 while the opportunity to avail of the seamless transition will be there in 2016 they should also consider the other three points.

Access to the scheme.

There are many thousands of farmers with SAC/ SPA land who are also in AEOS.  They are barred from entry to GLAS in 2015 but will be allowed to join in 2016.  There will only be 10,000 places in 2016 and it is quite possible that the demand will exceed this.  If this happens there is no guarantee that you will get in.  This means that you may miss a year’s payments.

Full Term in the Scheme.

If anyone on your commonage joins GLAS in 2015 the clock will start ticking on the Commonage Management Plan.  Later applicants will only get paid for 4 years if they join in 2016 and only 3 years if they delay until 2017.

Input into the Commonage Management Plan.

With the Commonage Management Plan in place, it is very unlikely that the initial applicants will be willing to revisit large parts of this plan to accommodate new entrants.  Farmers who join GLAS in later years will in most cases have to accept the commonage plan as it is and will have very limited capacity to contribute to it.  

Costs.

Delaying will not result in any reduction in costs, the advisor and most probably the original applicants will insist that late applicants pay at least the same price as everyone else.

Discussion

Considering the turmoil over the last 6 months on the whole GLAS commonage issue and in spite of recent progress, some AEOS farmers may be tempted to adopt a wait and see approach to GLAS and hold off their applications until 2016.  They may also feel that completing another year or two in AEOS and then joining GLAS secures their payments for six or seven years rather than the five available by joining GLAS now.  While this analysis appears logical it does not take into account the negative impacts of delaying entry into GLAS.  It is based on several assumptions which may or may not be valid.  These include;

1.       That they will be able to access GLAS in 2016 or 2017.

2.       That they will have the same opportunity to contribute to the Commonage Management Plan as early entrants.

3.       That there will be no agri-environment scheme in the next  round of the CAP.

There may be situations in some commonages where there are very small numbers of shareholders, all of whom are in AEOS 2 or 3 and where everyone decides to hold off on applying for the scheme until 2016 or 2017.  In theory this would give them an extra 2 years AEOS followed by 5 years in GLAS.  This may seem like a good idea but it is not without risk. Look back to when REPS 4 was introduced; the farmers who left REPS 3 early to join that scheme were the winners.  The people who stayed on in REPS 3 with the hope of getting 5 years in each scheme missed the boat completely.

I appreciate that for some people there may be issues in respect of the costs associated with entry into GLAS, a determination on this can only be made by the farmer himself and I do not pretend to be able to advise on this.  The decision to join GLAS is one that each farmer has to make for themselves. Personally I believe that joining GLAS in 2015 is the best option.  It virtually guarantees entry for commonage farmers and gives them the opportunity to contribute to the development of the commonage management plan.  Delaying the application until 2016 puts off the transaction costs for another year but for AEOS 1 farmers it will cost them 9 months payments (up to €3,750) and they will still face the same costs the following year.  For all commonage farmers waiting until 2016 or 2017 carries the risk that they will not get in at all and the near certainty that they will get a reduced term in GLAS and have little or no input into the Commonage Management Plan. 

To borrow a phrase from popular economics, waiting until 2016 is just kicking the can down the road.  It does not solve anything and quite possibly creates new problems. 

REPS/ AEOS Payments to begin.

The minister for agriculture has announced that 50 million euro will be paid out to farmers in REPS 4 and AEOS 1 and 2 next week. This represents the initial 75% payment, it is hoped that the remaining 25% will be paid in the near future.

Commonage Impasse

The Dept of Agriculture have delayed the issuing of letters to individual commonage farmers informing them of new commonage requirements. The current state of play is unclear however The Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney T.D. has responded to numerous parliamentary questions from among others Sean Kyne T.D., Joe McHugh T.D. and Eamon O Cuiv T.D.. The standard response in each case has been;

“The Commonage Framework Plans, first published in 2002, have been reviewed to take account of the current vegetative condition of commonages nationally. This review which will replace the Commonage Framework Plans has been carried out by the National Parks and Wildlife Service in co-operation with my Department. The review was carried out on a commonage LPIS basis and sets a minimum and maximum number of ewe equivalents (EE) required to graze the commonage parcel to ensure that it is maintained in Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC). I am currently considering an implementation plan to take account of the changed stocking levels. 

My Department is trying to reconcile the reality of commonages with the EU requirement of GAEC. I will work with the farmers, farm organisations and others to design a practical solution”. 

This answer is obviously just a holding statement, how far things have actually progressed since mid November is uncertain. The Christmas break, the burger scandal and the start of the EU presidency have probably all served to push the commonage issue further down the priority list. However the issue is still live and will have to be addressed at some time in the next year.

New Commonage Management System

The Dept. of Agriculture have recently published their proposals for ensuring that commonage lands remain eligible for direct payments in the next round of the Common Agricultural Policy. The background to this move includes the impact of the significant changes in the structure of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) after 2014. The EU Commission is proposing that direct payments should progressively converge and payments to large beneficiaries be subject to progressive capping. Within Ireland this proposal would have effect of reducing the value of the single payment scheme entitlements received by large farms principally in the south east and increasing the value of those held by farmers in the west of Ireland. While the extent of this change is still under negotiation it is likely that western farmers and in particular Suckler Cow and Sheep enterprises could be significant beneficiaries. 

The present CAP is based on a two pillar structure. In simple terms Pillar I pays for the Single Payment Scheme, Pillar II is for Rural development and co-finances the agri-environment schemes, e.g. REPS/ AEOS along with the Dis-Advantaged areas scheme. At the moment most commonage farmers payments are dominated by REPS/AEOS and the Dis-advantaged area payment with the Single Payment Scheme a poor third in many cases. This is not the case on a national level where the Single Payment Scheme is by far the most important source of direct payments. Even a partial implementation of the EU Commission proposals will lead to a change both in the size of direct payments to commonage farmers but also in makeup of these payments. In particular it is likely that the Single Payments Scheme or its successor will become more important to the commonage farmer. One benefit of this is that this payment is completely financed by the EU and so is not exposed to budget cuts in Ireland. 

While the new CAP offers significant opportunities for commonage farmers, the key challenge is to ensure that the land on which the payments could be drawn down remains eligible. An understanding of the purpose and objectives of these payments is central to appreciating the impact on current practices. A key objective of EU funding is to support farmers in adopting and maintaining farming systems and practices that are favourable to environmental and climate objectives. The direct payments are in part, a payment for the provision of these public goods, i.e. land in GAEC (Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition). The difficulty for commonage farmers is that if these public goods are not provided then how can they be paid for? 

In a shared grazing resource like commonage, the primary issue is whether the public goods, i.e. land in GAEC that are being paid for by direct payments are being provided or not. The issue of who is responsible for a failure to provide them is very much a secondary issue and one primarily for the landowners themselves. The challenge therefore for both the Dept of Agriculture and for commonage shareholders is to ensure that as much commonage land as possible remains eligible for direct payments. 

The Dept. of Agricultures response to this challenge is to introduce a requirement for Collective Agreements on stock numbers between the shareholders on each commonage. This appears to solve the eligibility issue; the maintenance of land in GAEC then becomes an ongoing requirement for the shareholders themselves based on the implementation of these agreements. A lead in time of two years has been proposed by the Dept of Agriculture to achieve the required stock numbers. At this point it is important to appreciate that the situation in every commonage is different, some commonages are already in GAEC, other suffer from under grazing, some are still damaged by overgrazing. In addition the farmers involved in each commonage are different; they have different enterprises and different views on how the commonage should be managed. Considering all of these differences it is clear that imposing a one size fits all solution is not realistic and that the only way to accommodate the wide range of situations is to involve the shareholders themselves in the decisions affecting their commonage. 

The proposals made by the Dept of Agriculture are radical and represent the greatest change to commonage management since the introduction of the commonage framework plans. Like the situation in the late 1990’s action is required in order to assure the continued eligibility of commonage for direct payments. Unlike the commonage framework plans which were imposed from above, a large part of the current proposals involve devolving decision making down to the shareholders of each commonage. The shareholders of the commonage perform this role by participating in a collective agreement. The objective is to ensure that the land is maintained in GAEC and so secure continued eligibility for payments. To assist in this process the Dept of Agriculture and the NPWS have calculated maximum and minimum stocking levels for each commonage land parcel. This was based on the stock carrying capacity of the habitats involved, their condition when the commonage framework plans were produced and the expected recovery in condition since then. The expected recovery was based on that observed during a wide ranging monitoring program over the past 10 years. Where the shareholders believe that these figures are incorrect they can be appealed. 

While the Dept of Agriculture have made these maximum and minimum figures available it is for the shareholders through their collective agreement to decide on how a stock number between the maximum and the minimum can be best achieved. 

The changes that are underway are dramatic but they offer the potential for increased payments which will be secured until 2020 along with an opportunity in some commonages for active farmers to develop their enterprise. Commonage is a shared resource, by co-operating with each other; farmers can ensure that they share in the benefits from this resource. While the process will present difficulties, it would be a mistake to dwell on problems elsewhere or mistakes made in the past. In difficult times making use of the opportunity presented, getting as good a deal as possible particularly in respect of the lead in time and addressing local issues by considering an appeal appear to be better strategies.

Commonage Collective Agreement

The collective agreement should not be seen as a form filling exercise, it is not an end in itself but a process by which each individual farmer can ensure that; 

• The commonage remains eligible for payment. 
• The commitment in terms of stock to be grazed on the commonage is workable and achievable in the context of the overall farm enterprise and their own personal plans and circumstances. 

The agreement cannot be considered as something that is written in stone, for if it is to be workable it must be reviewed by the farmers concerned on a regular basis. For example if because of a change in personal circumstances Farmer A is no longer able to continue to meet his commitment to keep 100 ewes on the commonage then the other shareholders must be able to review their agreement to see how it can be adapted to the new situation. Likewise if a dormant shareholder wishes to commence farming then the agreement must be capable of being amended to accommodate him. In essence the collective agreement is establishing a system of community based governance of a shared resource. For many this may be a difficult process and particularly in commonages with very large numbers of shareholders, the negotiation of a workable agreement will be challenging. To assist in this process the Dept. of Agriculture requires that a farm advisor with experience in commonage issues facilitates this agreement. The advisors role is to facilitate the negotiation process in a manner that ensures fair consideration for all shareholders and reduces the risk of a breakdown in negotiations. 

The importance of achieving a workable agreement cannot be underestimated as all direct payments on the commonage from 2014 to 2020 will depend on it. There are two principal issues involved, first to ensure that the commonage remains eligible for payment, this is dependent on putting a collective agreement in place and secondly ensuring that the commonage remains in GAEC (Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition) this is achieved by maintaining an appropriate stocking regime in the years ahead. To put these issues into context, a commonage with 300Ha of land eligible for payment could receive upwards of €70 per Ha from Pillar I funding, approx €100 per Ha from Pillar II (assuming that the Dis-advantaged Areas Scheme is maintained) and approx €75 per Ha from an agri-environment scheme (current AEOS rate of payment). This represents total direct payments of €245 per Ha per year for 7 years or a total of €514,000. While the exact amounts are dependent on the final agreement on the Common Agricultural Policy, it is clear that very large sums of money are involved. The indications are that even a partial break with the historical model will result in an increase in payments for commonage farmers. While the individual farmer has no input into the negotiations of the new Common Agricultural Policy he does have an input into ensuring that his land remains eligible to benefit from it. Achieving this with commonage land is dependent on the successful negotiation and implementation of a collective agreement. 

Commonage farmers will receive a letter from the Dept. of Agriculture in the coming weeks which will inform them of the maximum and minimum stock numbers for each commonage land parcel. This letter will also include the names of all those who are currently claiming payments on each commonage parcel. While there is a lead in time of two years, this is to provide some opportunity for farmers to adjust the size and composition of their flocks/ herds. It would be a mistake to assume that the negotiation of a collective agreement can be left to 2014 as this would carry enormous risks, negotiations would have to take place with a looming deadline, experienced advisors may be unavailable and there would be no time for stock adjustments to be made. For these reasons significant progress will have to be made on most commonages in 2013. 

Adapting to the new system requires both group and individual action. As a group the first step for active shareholders is to consider the maximum and minimum stock numbers for their commonage and to decide if an appeal is warranted. Such a decision should be based not just on the balance between current numbers and those proposed but also on the condition of the commonage. For example, if a commonage is under grazed, an appeal aimed at lowering the minimum stock numbers to suit current flock sizes is unlikely to be successful and even if it did succeed, it may well prove counterproductive if the land fails to achieve GAEC status (Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition). If the shareholders feel that an appeal is required they should contact a farm advisor for details as to how this can be done. A decision on whether to make an appeal or not should be made before Christmas as the collective agreement will inevitably be delayed pending the outcome of a review. The second stage is to engage a farm advisor for the purpose of facilitating an agreement. Only one advisor can be involved in a given commonage, ideally one with a background in commonage management. 

For the individual farmer the key issues are: 

• To discuss the general issues involved with their fellow shareholders. In particular the issue of whether an appeal is required and on engaging a commonage specialist to facilitate and agreement. 

• Consider how the management of the commonage fits in with their own farm enterprise and discuss any issues with the agreement facilitator and if appropriate with fellow shareholders. 

• Be aware that to remain eligible for payments after 2014 they must keep their share of the minimum stock required for the commonage. For example if the minimum stock number is 100 ewes and a farmer has a 1/10th share then he must keep a minimum of 10 ewes. The maximum number for each farmer will be determined as part of the collective agreement. Farmers who do not currently graze stock on the commonage will have to consider how they can participate in the collective agreement. As things stand they will not be eligible to claim payments on the commonage from 2014 onwards if they are not actively farming it. 

• Remember that only certain breeds of cattle and sheep will be considered as contributing to the stocking requirement. These are Blackface Mountain and Cheviot sheep, Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Kerry, Irish Moiled, Dexter, Shorthorn, Galloway, and Highland. It is anticipated that Connemara Ponies will be added to the list. Farmers considering purchasing bovine replacements should consider the approved breeds when purchasing animal. This is particularly important if their herd is currently composed of continental breeds such as Limousin or Charolais. 

• The November 30th date refers only to AEOS applicants. AEOS plans produced for commonage farmers will have a minimum and maximum stock number for the farmer. While the minimum number must be maintained, the maximum number in the AEOS application is provisional and will be superseded by the Collective Agreement. 

• Ensure that their SPS applications are made within the application periods in 2013 and 2014. 

While many farmers are concerned that within a collective agreement they will be exposed to penalties for the actions of their neighbour, the opposite is in fact the case. Without a collective agreement the action of the neighbour who abuses the shared property threatens the eligibility of the commonage for any payment at all. While within an agreement the neighbour will have made a commitment to his fellow shareholders and to the Dept of Agriculture and is exposed to penalties if he fails to live up to his commitment. The agreement also serves to protect the shareholders interests by ensuring eligibility for payment and providing a mechanism for co-ordinated responses to issues affecting their shared asset. 

The negotiation of a collective agreement will be a key event for all commonage farmers, it should not be rushed and the issues involved must be carefully considered. There are those who will be ready to point out the difficulties and the reasons why the process will not work. However to state that agreement between farmers is impossible is an empty gesture. Of course there will be local difficulties and perhaps in some situations it will not be possible to overcome these but that is not an argument not to try to reach a consensus. In the vast majority of cases agreement is possible, not everyone will get everything they want but they can take action to secure their payments, to ensure their views are heard and to plan for their farms future. 

There are serious issues with the details of the proposals where perhaps there is room to achieve a better deal, the lead in time is a case in point. However rejecting change does not present a solution and does the farming community no service. It is in the interest of all concerned that this process is successful, there is too much at stake to consider failure as an option. 

AEOS 3 Scheme Details

Key details.

The scheme has a budget of €20,000,000 which will provide funding for an estimated 6,000 participants.  If the scheme is oversubscribed priority will be given to the following groups.

1)            Farmers with more than 0.5 Ha of SAC or SPA land.

2)            Farmers with more than 0.5 Ha of Commonage.

If places remain after all of these applicants have been accommodated they will issue to farmers who had been in REPS.  Successful applicants will receive a start date probably in April of 2013; their contract period will run until the 31/12/2017.  In the event that an alternative scheme becomes available in 2014 applicants will be able to leave AEOS without penalty to join a new scheme.  This commitment by the Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is important as it ensures that farmers are not trapped in a scheme if a more suitable alternative exists.

The application for payment each year will be that years SPS application and payments should issue in November/ December each year.

The options themselves are similar to previous schemes; the biggest change is in the treatment of commonage.  Planners will have to access a commonage database to obtain maximum and minimum stocking densities for each commonage and apply this to the individual farmer based on the size of his share.  The requirements for each option are described in scheme specifications which can be downloaded from this website.

DOWNLOAD

AEOS 3 Specifications.pdf

AEOS 3 Terms & Conditions.pdf

Opening of AEOS 3 Scheme

AEOS Seminars will be held for farm planners on Monday October 22nd and Tuesday October 23rd in Castlebar and Mullingar. The scheme will open for applications immediately after these seminars and will close at the end of November. The specifications for the new scheme are expected to be available by the end of this week. First indications are that they will not differ significantly from the AEOS 2 scheme.

What is Commonage?

In Ireland, commonage is land that is owned by more than one person. Typically each shareholder owns a defined fraction of the total area and this is detailed on each shareholders folios. It should not be confused with the term “tenants in common”, which is where the land described on a folio belongs to two or more persons. This may happen where land is inherited jointly by siblings or where land is purchased by two or more people. Land held by “tenants in common” is not normally considered as commonage.

Another situation is in respect of lands where there are “grazing rights”. These do not involve any ownership of the land but as the name suggests give a right to graze livestock on the area involved.

Over the years the shareholders on many commonages have decided to “stripe” or split their commonage between them. In spite of this approx 426,000 Ha of commonage remain. Over 11,000 farms have a shareholding in one or more of the approx 4,500 remaining commonages.

Commonage Review

All farmers with commonage will shortly receive a letter from the Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine regarding how the recently completed commonage review will affect them. This review has completely changed how commonages will be managed in the future and has implications for stock numbers and for direct payments to commonage farmers. It replaces the commonage framework plans and it is hoped will lead to a more community based approach to commonage management. 

Commonage Framework Plans have governed sheep numbers on commonages for the last decade. However in recent years it has become increasingly apparent that these were dated and no longer provided for the needs of those involved in commonage management. To deal with this, the Dept. of Agriculture and the National Parks and Wildlife Service have reviewed the Commonage Framework Plans to make them more relevant to current requirements. This review was based on the patterns of recovery observed in commonages throughout Ireland since 2004. 

Implementation of the commonage framework plans resulted in many farmers having to destock from their original ewe quota level. The new system breaks the link with the old ewe quota and instead allows farmers to stock at sustainable levels. In effect this means that the starting point is zero and that farmers can increase their stocking to a sustainable level as determined in the commonage review. 

The new system also introduces a collective approach to managing commonages. It will be the shareholders themselves who will determine how many animals each farmer will graze on the commonage. However the total number must be within a minimum and maximum number for the commonage as set out in the letter from the Dept. of Agriculture. This collective responsibility may also allow the Dept. of Agriculture to impose penalties on all shareholders if a commonage is improperly managed. 

Farmers utilise the commonage for grazing livestock, but it also represents forage area on which they get paid in the dis-advantaged area and single payment schemes To ensure that all farmers can continue to get what they need out of their commonage they should reach an internal agreement among themselves. This agreement must be agreed by the farmers themselves however it may be facilitated by an expert third party. The agreement will ensure that all shareholders know where they stand, what commitments they have and how they will resolve any disputes, either between themselves or with outside bodies. In short the internal agreement sets out how they are going to manage their commonage. The contents of the agreement are up to the farmers themselves but as a minimum it should set out how many animals each farmer will keep so that the group can meet the sustainable stocking requirement. 

It is unlikely that an even split between all shareholders will be the optimum approach to achieve this. The circumstances and farm enterprises of different shareholders will vary, some may be unwilling to increase numbers at all, others perhaps, may wish to increase to a level in excess of what an even split would allow. The situation is further complicated by dormant shareholders who do not farm the commonage at all and by the renting and leasing of shares. While dealing with all of these issues is not straightforward, the problems posed are manageable. However to do this successfully requires a structured and most importantly, a workable agreement between the shareholders. 

This is an opportunity for farmers to manage their commonage together, largely free from external interference. It is not something that people should fear or be apprehensive about, but it does require their careful attention.

AEOS 3 Scheme Announced

AEOS 3 schemes announced at the ploughing championships. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has announced that €20 million euro has been made available to finance an AEOS 3 scheme. This will be enough to accommodate approx 6,000 farmers. Priority will be given to farmers with commonage or Natura land (SAC or SPA). The details of this scheme have not been announced yet but are expected in the very near future.

Full details will be posted on this site as soon as they are available.