OT4: Organic land management - horticulture

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the organic land management - horticulture option.

From:
Rural Payments Agency and Natural England
Published
2 April 2015
Last updated
4 January 2024 — See all updates
Grant type:
Option
Land use:
Organic land and Uplands
Tiers or standalone items:
Higher Tier and Mid Tier
Funding (per unit per year):
More than £500

How much will be paid

£707 per hectare (ha)

Where to use this option

Available for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier and Higher Tier

  • Whole or part-parcel
  • Rotational

Only on:

  • land registered as ‘fully organic’ by a Defra-licensed organic control body
  • land parcels that have been cultivated in the preceding 7 years

Other Countryside Stewardship options and supplements relevant to arable and rotational land management may be used on the same land area where eligibility rules allow.

How this option will benefit the environment

Maintains land under organic management, providing a wide range of environmental and public benefits.

If successful you should see these benefits increase and the organic area maintained.

Aims

If you’re selected for a site visit, we will check that delivery of the aims is being met and the prohibited activities have not been carried out. This will ensure the environmental benefits are being delivered.

There will be at least 1 horticultural crop in each field parcel. There will be a maximum area of 20ha of this option in the agreement.

During the rotation at least 40% of the area entered for this option will be in horticultural production.

Organic standards will be adhered to for the duration of the agreement.

Prohibited activities

To achieve the aims and deliver the environmental benefits, do not carry out any of the following activities.

  • None

On your annual claim you will be asked to declare that you have not carried out any prohibited activities.

To assist you in achieving the aims and deliver the environmental benefits for this option, we recommend that you use best practice.

We recommend that you:

  • maintain the total hectarage (area) that was committed to at the beginning of the agreement for the whole of the agreement
  • keep at least 40% of the area entered for this option in horticultural production with produce for human consumption at any single stage of the rotation

Keeping records

Where there is uncertainty about whether the aims of the options have been delivered, we will take into account any records or evidence you may have kept demonstrating delivery of the aims of the option. This will include any steps you’ve taken to follow the recommended management set out above. It’s your responsibility to keep such records if you want to rely on these to support your claim.

  • A valid organic certificate and schedule for all the parcels entered into this option at application and on their annual claim
  • An up-to-date conversion plan approved by an organic control body
  • Farm records to show that any permanent grassland parcels entered for this option have been cultivated within the previous 7 years

Additional guidance and advice

The following advice is helpful, but they are not requirements for this item.

Permanent ineligible features may be eligible as part of the option area if registered with a control body.

Further information

Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Mid Tier and Higher Tier including how to apply.

Updates to this page

Published 2 April 2015
Last updated 4 January 2024 + show all updates

  1. Update to How Much Is Paid

  2. Can be used on rotational land

  3. Removed 'Rotational' from 'Where to use this option'.

  4. Organic evidence is no longer required for BPS

  5. New payment rate from 1 January 2022.

  6. OT4 option updated

  7. Updated for 2017 applications.

  8. Information updated for applications in 2016.

  9. First published.

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