Applications open for sheep premium

By FWi staff

SHEEP producers in England can now apply to the 2002 Sheep Annual Premium Scheme (SAPS) Quota National Reserve.

The application period runs from 3 May to 31 May and forms are available from MAFF Regional Service Centres (RSC).

Completed forms may be posted to RSCs by the deadline, or faxed, provided the original is posted at the same time.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome before the 2002 SAPS quota trading period opens in September.

Categories for the 2002 national reserve are as follows:

• Participants in environmental schemes in 1991 which required a reduction in livestock numbers, who are now leaving the scheme;
• Producers who are taking over land from which quota has been removed by a departing tenant or sharefarmer whose tenancy or sharefarming agreement was drawn up before 1 January 1993;
• Producers in environmental schemes switching from arable to livestock farming;
• Individual newcomers to farming in 2001 or 2002, under the age of 40, or aged 40 and over;
• Producers who have already entered or who are committed to entering the Organic Farming Scheme;
• First-time premium claimants in 2001 or 2002;
• Producers who are returning land to sheep farming which was temporarily used for non-agricultural purposes.

Separate but similar arrangements are being made in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.