Agri-Environmental measures

1
Agri-Environmental measures

• Jolita Ruzgiene
• Nature Protection Department
• Ministry of Environment
• Bonn, Germany

2
Lithuania at a glance

• Area 65.3 thousands sq. km
• 97 of total territory is rural
• Population 3,462 million
• 33 of total population is rural (1,145 million)

3
Agri-Environmental measures (The Order of the
Minister of Agriculture No. 3D-482 of August 13,
2004)Intended allocations (million EUR) for
2004-2006
Measures 2004 2004 2005 2005 2006 2006 2004-2006 2004-2006
Measures Total EU Total EU Total EU Total EU
Agri-Environment 15,000 12,000 20,200 16,160 27,000 21,600 62,200 49,760
4
Objectives of the Agri-Environmental measures

• Improvement of the environment (water quality,
  biodiversity, soil and landscape preservation of
  semi-natural agricultural habitats and other
  important ecological important areas) and
  production of healthy food
• Improvement of the quality of surface and
  underground water
• Reduction of negative impact on the environment
  of plant protection products
• Restoration or preservation of the traditional
  landscape of the Lithuanian countryside (meadows,
  marshes (wetlands))
• Production of good quality agricultural products
• Keep of rear local endangered breeds of native
  domestic animals on farms.

5
Beneficiaries

• Farmers
• agricultural companies
• private or legal persons on own or tenant land
  (land lease contract must be signed at least for
  the duration of 5 years).

6
Requirements for beneficiaries

• Size of the owned or leased farm must be minimum
  of 1 hectare
• Agricultural holding must be registered in the
  Agriculture and Rural Development Register
• Shall accept all the agri-environmental
  obligations for at least five years duration
• Fill-in a standard application form and undertake
  to meet the requirements laid down in the Scheme
• Shall commit to adhere the requirements of the
  Good Farming Practice at the farm (under the
  Order of the Minister of Agriculture No. 3D-432
  of July 16, 2004).

7
Scope of the Measures

• Protection shore belts of surface water bodies in
  meadows and arable land and prevention of the
  soil erosion
• Landscape Stewardship Scheme
• Organic Farming Scheme
• Rare Breeds Scheme.

8
Protection shore belts of surface water bodies
(WBs)

• Specific requirements
• Protection shore belts of surface WB shall be
  installed on the banks of natural or regulated
  rivers and streams, melioration ditches, the
  shores of lakes and quarries
• The total length of protection shore belts along
  a WB must be at least 50 metres
• All surface WB in farm should be covered by the
  action
• Protective shore belt in meadows and in arable
  land shall include the obligatory protection
  shore belt and additional extension according
  with this scheme, which has to be marked on farm
  map.

9
Protection shore belts of surface water bodies

• Applicant shall
• Grazing on the protection belts and on the
  slopes of the shores of surface WB is prohibited
  
• Ploughing, use of fertilisers, use of plant
  protection products, cutting of trees on the
  protection belt is prohibited
• Grass mowing shall be made once a year
• Remove mowed grass and cut bushes from the
  protection belt or the slope of the shores of
  surface WB not later than the 15th of October
  each year.

10
Landscape Stewardship Scheme

• Specific requirements
• actions shall be applied only in meadows,
  marshes (wetlands)
• minimum 0.5 ha of the land should be covered by
  the action.

11
Landscape Stewardship Scheme

• Applicant shall
• not to use pesticides and fertilizers in meadows
  marshes (wetlands), move them every year, start
  of moving not earlier than the 15th of August,
  but not later than 30th of September
• preserve traditional biotypes in the meadows by
  not ploughing and re-sowing with cultural grass
  species
• retain isolated trees in meadows, cut bushes
• not to graze in the marshes (wetlands)
• to remove mowed grass and cut bushes
• not to install new drain systems near marshes,
  ponds, situated on the farm.

12
Organic farming scheme

• Specific requirements
• Organic farming certificate, issued by the
  competent certification body, shall be presented

13
Organic farming scheme

• Applicant shall
• follow the rules of organic production in
  accordance with the national legal requirements
  of organic farming and requirements of the EU
  Regulation 2092/91
• yearly present certificate of organic farming
• not to reduce certified area of organic farm
• yearly declare tillage.

14
Rare Breeds Scheme

• Specific requirements
• The participant shall participate in breeding
  programme
• The participant shall present note from
  competent authorities regarding the number of
  supported animals.

15
Rare Breeds Scheme

• Applicant shall
• keep number of animals (Zemaitukai horses,
  Lithuanian Black and White cattle, etc.)
  indicated in a commitment
• follow animal health and zoohygiene
  requirements, also animal welfare standards
• yearly present note from competent authorities
  regarding the number of rare breeds animals in
  the farm.

16
In 2004 is set-up implementation

• Organic Farming Scheme (1018 applications)
• Rare Breeds Scheme (266 applications).
• Intended allocations 8,3 million EUR

17
In 2005 is set-up implementation

• Protection shore belts of surface water bodies in
  meadows and arable land and prevention of soil
  erosion Scheme (11 applications)
• Landscape Stewardship Scheme (101 applications)
• Organic Farming Scheme (689 applications)
• Rare Breeds Scheme (56 applications).
• Intended allocations 9,01 million EUR

18
Thank you for your attention!