“In the Programme for Government, a commitment was made that at the “EU midterm review of the CAP, we will propose a lowering of the cap on Basic Payments, from €150,000 to €100,000,” Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesperson Charlie McConalogue has said.
The midterm point of the current CAP, which runs until 2020, is in fact this year. McConalogue claims that the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, has "washed his hands" of this commitment in the Programme for Government.
“It appears as if he’s trying to push it further down the road, stating that the lowering of the CAP ceiling to €100,000 will be examined “in the context of the future reform of the CAP”," he said. "The next CAP will not start until 2021 by which time the current term of this Government will have ended."
By reducing the CAP payment ceiling from €150,000 to €100,000, future CAP funding for smaller farmers will be safeguarded following the 10% cut in direct payments under the 2014-2020 CAP, McConalogue said.
“This Government should be campaigning with like-minded member states to have this issue addressed immediately and get it on the radar well in advance of the next CAP negotiations."
Tillage fund
Seperately, Fianna Fail has accused the government of failing to act sufficiently on behalf of tillage farmers. The party said that tillage farmers need a fair compensation package as a result of the poor harvest in 2016. A crisis fund from the European Union was ruled out in December 2016 by EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan.
“Offering farmers who are on their knees loans instead of compensation is typical of Fine Gael. They just don’t understand what is happening on small farms across Ireland,” said Cork South West TD Margaret Murphy O’Mahony. “Banks won’t give them a loan as their credit rating is so low, and let’s be honest, without their 2016 harvest, they won’t have the money to repay the loan.
She added that Fine Gael TDs should put pressure on the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, to make a compensation package available.
Read more
Common Agricultural Policy: 2020 warming up
“In the Programme for Government, a commitment was made that at the “EU midterm review of the CAP, we will propose a lowering of the cap on Basic Payments, from €150,000 to €100,000,” Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesperson Charlie McConalogue has said.
The midterm point of the current CAP, which runs until 2020, is in fact this year. McConalogue claims that the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, has "washed his hands" of this commitment in the Programme for Government.
“It appears as if he’s trying to push it further down the road, stating that the lowering of the CAP ceiling to €100,000 will be examined “in the context of the future reform of the CAP”," he said. "The next CAP will not start until 2021 by which time the current term of this Government will have ended."
By reducing the CAP payment ceiling from €150,000 to €100,000, future CAP funding for smaller farmers will be safeguarded following the 10% cut in direct payments under the 2014-2020 CAP, McConalogue said.
“This Government should be campaigning with like-minded member states to have this issue addressed immediately and get it on the radar well in advance of the next CAP negotiations."
Tillage fund
Seperately, Fianna Fail has accused the government of failing to act sufficiently on behalf of tillage farmers. The party said that tillage farmers need a fair compensation package as a result of the poor harvest in 2016. A crisis fund from the European Union was ruled out in December 2016 by EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan.
“Offering farmers who are on their knees loans instead of compensation is typical of Fine Gael. They just don’t understand what is happening on small farms across Ireland,” said Cork South West TD Margaret Murphy O’Mahony. “Banks won’t give them a loan as their credit rating is so low, and let’s be honest, without their 2016 harvest, they won’t have the money to repay the loan.
She added that Fine Gael TDs should put pressure on the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, to make a compensation package available.
Read more
Common Agricultural Policy: 2020 warming up
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