WHAT CAN SRDP DO WHAT CAN SRDP DO

FOR CROFTING FOR CROFTING

AND SMALL UNITS?AND SMALL UNITS?

PartnersPartners•Crofting CommissionCrofting Commission•Scottish Crofting FederationScottish Crofting Federation•NFUS (Crofting Committee)NFUS (Crofting Committee)•SNHSNH•RSPBRSPB•HIEHIE•European Forum on Conservation and PastoralismEuropean Forum on Conservation and Pastoralism•SLESLE

AimsAims

•Contribute to review of SRDPContribute to review of SRDP

•Explain issues of access to SRDP by crofting/small unitsExplain issues of access to SRDP by crofting/small units

•Demonstrate need for crofting/small units to access SRDP Demonstrate need for crofting/small units to access SRDP

Crofting/small unit statisticsCrofting/small unit statistics The geographic distribution and number of holdings by extent (in hectares), Scotland

LARGE HOLDINGSLARGE HOLDINGS4,503 holdings are 200+ hectares 9% of total holdings4.26 million hectares of area 76% of total agricultural land? people

CROFTS/SMALL HOLDINGSCROFTS/SMALL HOLDINGS26,728 holdings less than 10 hectares51% of the total 90,602 hectares of area 1.6% of the total33,000 people on 18,027 crofts

Size of holdingsSize of holdings

• 18,027 crofts • 5 hectares average size • 1050 common grazings• 538,000 hectares common grazings• 10% of the farmland in Scotland

Crofts and Common GrazingsCrofts and Common Grazings

Crofting in declineCrofting in decline

• 32% decline in ewe numbers • 35-60% in some parishes• 11.4% decline in cattle

Croft use Croft use

43% decline in croft use, Trotternish1970-2008

% decline oats & potatoes% decline in grass conservation

Decline in cropping Decline in cropping Area of grass conservation (hectares)

Decline in common grazings committees Decline in common grazings committees

918 total number of common grazings

Common Grazings with committees in office

2003 - 8532005 - 6302011 - 5732012 - 512

8 measures in SRDP4 are relevant to crofting/small units:

•Rural Development Contracts - Land Manager Options (RDC-LMO)•Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities (RDC-RP)•Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme (CCAGS)•Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS)

Crofting/small unit access to SRDPCrofting/small unit access to SRDP

Approved:•327 cattle options applications •411 conservation plans Of those: •158 were linked with the retention of cattle option •169 linked with the introduction of cattle option•84 stand-alone successful conservation plan applications

Potential applicants (under 10 ha holdings):•26,728

Of which•18,027 are crofts

Crofting/small unit success with SRDPCrofting/small unit success with SRDP

Common Grazings uptakeCommon Grazings uptake

From a sample of 214 common grazings

Approved:

•LMO 4.8%•Rural Priorities 5.6%

Year Financial value(£ millions)

05/06 3.007

06/07 4.287

07/08 1.990

08/09 2.308

09/10 1.130

CCAGS uptakeCCAGS uptakeREASONS FOR DECLINE IN UPTAKE

•All proposals require competitive quotes •Grant paid on actual costs only

•Reduction in grant rates

•Loss of replacement fencing grant

•Loss of rotational reseeding grant

Within Crofting Counties70 % of land in Scotland designated as NNRs60%+ of land in Scotland designated as SSSIsHighest values of High Nature Value Farmland in ScotlandCommon grazings account for 20% of HNV

In Scotland 2% of land in Scotland designated as NNRs 13% of land in Scotland designated as SSSIs

Crofting and natural heritageCrofting and natural heritage

Socio-economic impact of croftingSocio-economic impact of crofting18,027 crofts Occupied by 10,000-12,000 crofting households Home to 33,000 people

POPULATION DECLINEWestern Isles:1991-2000 - 10% decline Shetland:1991-200 - 4% Up to 20% decline from peripheral, croftingareas to Stornoway and Lerwick

Croft income

Up to 1950s, significant percentage of household income

Studies 1999-2008 suggest: 4-20% of household income

Study of 43 crofts:1998 over 50% recorded negative incomes1999, 30% recorded negative incomes

Socio-economic impact of croftingSocio-economic impact of crofting

Respondents:

…indicated considerable reluctance to consider giving up agricultural activity on the croft, but most indicated they could not sustain it if it was actively costing them money on a continuing basis.

(Crofting in the 21st Century: A Report for SEERAD)

Desire to continue croftingDesire to continue crofting

•Enhanced CCAGS  •Programme for Crofting and Small Units

Recommendations for SRDPRecommendations for SRDP

RETAIN:Retain existing scheme grant rates LFA 50% & NLFA 40%.Retain existing scheme eligible items and operations Retain 10% grant enhancement for under 40yrs old applicant.

PROPOSE:Reintroduction of standard costs.10% grant enhancement for New Entrants (over 40yrs old) for works identified in a 5yr plan of improvements.  10% grant enhancement for capital works on common grazings Reintroduction of grant assignation to contractor for common grazings. Scheme for on-croft small-scale renewables (non FiTS) did not receive full consensus.

Enhanced CCAGSEnhanced CCAGS

•  For Crofts and Small Units• Non-competitive

Two components:• Land cultivation and maintenance options• Whole Township Review 

Rural Land Management ProgrammeRural Land Management Programme

• Max 20ha of in-bye land for all units

In the case of crofts:• Includes apportionments • Excludes grazing share• Classified as extensive defined at a stocking

level density• With an elected grazing committee and

approved set of grazings regulations

Programme eligibilityProgramme eligibility

Options: •Land Cultivation and Maintenance Management Plan (template) •Grassland Management

Species rich grassland management Open grazed or wet grassland grazing for wildlife Forage conservation management

•Environmental grazing Introduction of breeding cattle (2 minimum) Retention of breeding cattle (2 minimum)

•Rotational cropping traditional

•Management of water courses

Land cultivation & maintenanceLand cultivation & maintenance

Common Grazings Moorland Management Plan: •Facilitation for establishing committee •Five year management plan.

Designated Site land management activity options

Carbon capture and storage land management including the restoration peat lands

Moorland Activity Management •Muirburn •Away wintering •Bracken control •Environment cattle grazing

Common grazings optionsCommon grazings options

Common Grazings Moorland Management Plan: •Facilitation for establishing committee •Five year management plan.

Designated Site land management activity options

Carbon capture and storage land management including the restoration peat lands

Moorland Activity Management •Muirburn •Away wintering •Bracken control •Environment cattle grazing

Common grazings optionsCommon grazings options

WHOLE TOWNSHIP REVIEW •Review and baseline land activities •Develop 5-year plan  

•Identify opportunities for new entrants into crofting •Identify opportunities for traditional and alternative activities

Common grazings optionsCommon grazings options

WHOLE TOWNSHIP REVIEW •Review and baseline land activities •Develop 5-year plan  

•Identify opportunities for new entrants into crofting •Identify opportunities for traditional and alternative activities

Common grazings optionsCommon grazings options

Young Crofters/FarmersUsing provisions under Articles 8 and 20 for New Entrants

Rural Priorities delivery model:£100K considered too high

Suggest:•>£20 (non-competitive)•£20k - £50k (some competition)•£50K - £100k (fast track route as proposed)

? Small-scale capital investment for non-croft holdings

Additional measuresAdditional measures

“Small changes in remote rural areas can have significant consequences”