Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 300: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if farmers who declared their holdings for area aid in order to qualify for the single farm payment entitlements in 2005 will be allowed to afforest that land or part of it should they wish to do so before 1 October 2005; if the ten months period can start from 1 September 2004 which would free the land for planting from 1 July 2005; if the start-up date for the ten months period is automatically set for 1 September or does the applicant choose a start-up date. [5936/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Farmers will be required to indicate on their 2005 area aid-single payment application forms the date from which the ten months retention period for each of their parcels begins. Farmers will be allowed to choose at most two different dates in respect of their parcels and those two dates must be between 1 September 2004 and 30 April 2005.

In choosing the starting date for a parcel a person will need to be mindful of declarations in respect of that parcel for 2004. In 2004 forage parcels had to be available and accessible for rearing animals for a seven months period commencing between 1 January 2004 and 31 March 2004. Care should be taken that there is no overlapping between the ending of the seven months period for 2004 and the beginning of the ten months period for 2005. In the case of parcels declared in 2004 for arable aid the ten months period for the 2005 single payment scheme should not commence until after harvesting of the 2004 crops. Also, in the case of rented or leased lands there should be no overlapping between the ending of a rental agreement or lease for 2004 and the commencement of the ten months period for 2005.

It will not be possible, for the reasons outlined to automatically set 1 September 2004 as the start date for all parcels. Some farmers will, however, be free to commence afforestation after 1 July 2005 on parcels declared for the 2005 single payment scheme where they have indicated a valid start date of 1 September 2004.