The Department of Agriculture’s (DAFM) modelling of the impact of convergence on farmers entitlements “totally misrepresents the reality” and over 72,000 farmers will stand to gain under full payment flattening, according to Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) president Colm O’Donnell.
The INHFA said the document implies that no farmer will gain under the convergence model.
O’Donnell said that this totally misrepresents the reality that over 72,000 farmers, representing almost 60% of all farmers, stand to gain under 100% convergence or full flattening.
“Of these, over half would also gain substantially under the 85% convergence model, which the DAFM have based this document around,” he said.
May 7, 2021 9:18 am
The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) has condemned a recent document released by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) on modelling future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments.
INHFA president Colm O’Donnell said: “This totally misrepresents the reality that over 72,000 farmers representing almost 60% of all farmers, stand to gain under 100% convergence or full flattening.
“Of these, over half would also gain substantially under the 85% convergence model which the DAFM [has] based this document around.”
DAFM modelling on CAP payments
The modelling exercise focused on payment entitlement unit values under the proposed Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) – the successor to the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) – but does not look at any proposed eco-schemes, for which 20% of CAP funds will be ringfenced.
AS fears continue to grow over the potential introduction of a regulation that could exclude thousands of farmers from getting their CAP payments, Colm O’Donnell, president of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) ,has penned an open letter to Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue.
Signed by Colm O’Donnell on behalf of the INHFA, it reads:
Dear Minister McConalogue,
Advertisement
As President of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA), I am writing to you on behalf of farmers that operate on carbon-rich soils ie our farmed wetlands and peatlands.
Under proposals in the new CAP Programme, farmers operating on these lands will be required to comply with a new Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition Standard 2 (GAEC 2) that threatens the agricultural status of their lands.
SHARING OPTIONS:
Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 2 requires the imposition of management practises that protect carbon-rich soils.
Farmers on peatlands and wetlands are up in arms over plans to impose new rules in the next CAP which they believe threaten farmers’ “ability to exist” on these lands.
In a letter sent to Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has demanded a change to draft legislation to allay farmers’ fears.
A new Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC 2) will impose additional requirements on those farming peatlands and wetlands to receive a direct payment.
‘Huge disappointment’ for farmers as details of REAP revealed
Reporter:
);
Farming organisations have said they are stunned and disappointed by the details of the Results-Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme (REAP) while others have described the pilot as a “damp squib”.
Speaking after a meeting with the Department of Agriculture last week, IFA rural development chairperson, Michael Biggins said the details of REAP are a “damp squib”.
He said that after the all the hype, the Department confirmed that the budget for the new scheme for 2021 will only be €10m, out of the €79m for new agri-environment and other farm support measures announced in the Budget.