Flat-rate per hectare payments, defining “genuine” farmers and future Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) funding were all discussed in an Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture this Tuesday.
Under new European Commission proposals, the style of farm payments could change radically from entitlement-based payments to per-hectare payments.
“We could go to a flat-rate payment,” Brendan Gleeson, assistant secretary general at the Department of Agriculture, said.
It would allow you to pick hectares on a farm. It would shift the balance to smaller farmers
“We could dispense with entitlements and say every hectare gets a flat-rate payment.”
The idea of front-loading or providing higher payments for a first quota of hectares was also suggested by Sinn Féin deputy Martin Kenny, which Gleeson confirmed would be possible.
“It would allow you to pick hectares on a farm. It would shift the balance to smaller farmers,” Gleeson said, adding that you didn’t necessarily need to pick the first 10ha on a farm.
“From an administrative point of view, a flat rate per hectare it would be a simplification.”
However, Gleeson added that he would see the whole system operating under convergence, where all payments were be worth at least 75% of the national average by 2025.
It’s unknown as yet whether the Department will opt for the front-loading of payments but the new European Commission CAP proposals allows member states to sculpt their own plans for pillar I and pillar II funding, before submitting those plans for Commission approval.
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Flat-rate per hectare payments, defining “genuine” farmers and future Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) funding were all discussed in an Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture this Tuesday.
Under new European Commission proposals, the style of farm payments could change radically from entitlement-based payments to per-hectare payments.
“We could go to a flat-rate payment,” Brendan Gleeson, assistant secretary general at the Department of Agriculture, said.
It would allow you to pick hectares on a farm. It would shift the balance to smaller farmers
“We could dispense with entitlements and say every hectare gets a flat-rate payment.”
The idea of front-loading or providing higher payments for a first quota of hectares was also suggested by Sinn Féin deputy Martin Kenny, which Gleeson confirmed would be possible.
“It would allow you to pick hectares on a farm. It would shift the balance to smaller farmers,” Gleeson said, adding that you didn’t necessarily need to pick the first 10ha on a farm.
“From an administrative point of view, a flat rate per hectare it would be a simplification.”
However, Gleeson added that he would see the whole system operating under convergence, where all payments were be worth at least 75% of the national average by 2025.
It’s unknown as yet whether the Department will opt for the front-loading of payments but the new European Commission CAP proposals allows member states to sculpt their own plans for pillar I and pillar II funding, before submitting those plans for Commission approval.
Read more
Macra: CAP must define the active farmer
CAP 2020 will be divisive: seven slides to understand
SHARING OPTIONS