The Hill Farm Allowance Regulations 2003

Amount of payment

7.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) and to regulations 8 and 9, payment of hill farm allowance in respect of the descriptions of land specified in column 1 of Schedule 2 shall be made—

(a) in relation to the first 350 hectares of eligible forage area in respect of which the claim is made, at the rates specified in column 2 of Schedule 2;

(b) in relation to the next 350 hectares of eligible forage area in respect of which the claim is made, at one half of the rates specified in column 2 of Schedule 2.

(2) If the notional livestock density is less than 1.0, the amount of the payment shall be increased by 20 per cent.

(3) Except where paragraph (2) applies, the amount of the payment shall be increased by 10 per cent if the claimant satisfies any one of the following criteria, and by 20 per cent if he satisfies any two or more such criteria—

(a) the claimant is an organic farmer;

(b) the claimant—

(i) submitted applications in 2002 for both sheep annual premium and suckler cow premium; and

(ii) the number, expressed in livestock units, of suckler cows and heifers in respect of which he was paid suckler cow premium in that year is equal to at least 15 per cent of the number, expressed in livestock units, of relevant animals;

(c) the notional livestock density is less than 1.2;

(d) at least one hectare, or 5 per cent (whichever is the smaller), of the claimant’s eligible land is planted with arable crops in respect of which the claimant is not receiving any other financial support, and was not converted from permanent pasture after 1998;

(e) at least one hectare, or 5 per cent (whichever is the smaller), of the claimant’s eligible land is planted with woodland in respect of which the claimant is not receiving any other financial support, and was not converted from permanent pasture after 1998.