The Integrated Administration and Control System: guidance

Annex 3: Less Favoured Area Support Scheme ( LFASS) 2007-2009

We provide full LFASS details in the LFASS Explanatory Notes 2007-2009 which you can find at www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Agriculture/Schemes/LFASS. Printed copies were posted to applicants in October 2007 and may be requested from your SGRPID area office. There is no separate application form from LFASS 2008. You must apply for LFASS in form IACS (2).

LFASS eligible land

Land eligible for LFASS is described below and includes revised seasonal land conditions. LFASS eligible land will be land which:

• we have accepted as either Severely Disadvantaged or Disadvantaged within the designated Less Favoured Areas ( LFA) in Scotland. You can view maps showing the Scottish LFA boundary at any SGRPID area office;
• meets the IACS definition of forage explained below and has the IACS land use codes compatible with LFASS;
• we have given a grazing category value to, on or before 31 December 2006; and
• you declare in the SAF you submit in the year for which your LFASS payment is to be made.

If you are a new LFASS applicant or were not paid LFASS 2005 and LFASS 2006:

• in addition to the above conditions, to be eligible, at least 3 ha of the land you declare must have been included in the SAF 2005 of the business that farmed the land in 2005 and contributed to the payment of that business under LFASS 2006.

Forage and seasonal land

Forage land means the area of land used for feeding or grazing livestock, and may include seasonal land and common grazings. The IACS land use codes, as used in the SAF, compatible with LFASS are set out in sections 1.3 and 1.4 of Annex 1 of the IACS (1a). To count as forage, land should be available throughout the year. We may accept other land you claim as forage in the SAF you submit for the same year as your LFASS application, as long as:

• the land is available and accessible for your use for maintaining livestock, or producing a forage crop, for at least 7 months in the same calendar year for which you are claiming LFASS;
• and the 7 month period must include 15 May in the year to which you LFASS application relates.

You should not claim seasonal land which is abandoned, or does not contribute to the LFASS enterprise by being actively farmed, even if it attracts other subsidy such as SFPS. It will not be eligible for LFASS.

If your forage land is temporarily unavailable during part of the 7 month period, it may still count as forage area. Examples may include land under snow or water, or grazing being restricted in a notification issued under LFASS overgrazing provisions, or by a requirement to observe a prescription for a limited period, under any of the other SRDP schemes.

If you lease land (i.e. seasonal let) we will expect you to demonstrate your right to use the leased land, if we ask you to.