Hill Farm Allowance rates for 2004

Defra today announced revised rates of Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) payments for the year ending March 2004. The revised rates, subject to formal European Commission approval, are higher than the previously published rates for 2004.

Hill farmers play a vital role in maintaining the landscape and rural communities in the hills. The HFA provides support to compensate them for the disadvantages of upland farming so that they can continue to deliver the economic, social and environmental benefits of sustainable hill grazing.

If approved by the European Commission, the payment rates for 2004 will be as follows (original published rates in brackets):

a/ Severely Disadvantaged Moorland

b/ Common Land

c/ Disadvantaged Land

d/ Common Land

Full rate

a/ £38.14 per ha

b/ 20.62 per ha

c/ 14.44 per ha

d/ 14.44 per ha

0-350 ha

a/(£29.80)

b/ (£16.11)

c/(£11.27)

d/(£11.27)

Half rate

a/ £19.07 per ha

b/ £10.31 per ha

c/ £7.22 per ha

d/ £7.22 per ha

351-700 ha

a/ (£14.90)

b/ (£8.06)

c/ (£5.64)

d/ (£5.64)