The scheme will assist young farmers in the initial stages of establishing a farming enterprise in their own name by providing an additional payment. Ireland will allocate 2% of its national ceiling (€24,300,060.00) to the scheme in 2015.
Note that the Young Farmers Scheme and the National Reserve share the same definition of young farmer. In many cases, a person who qualifies as a young farmer but who does not hold entitlements or holds entitlements which are below the National Reserve national average will be eligible for an allocation of entitlements from the National Reserve and will then also receive the payment under the Young Farmers Scheme. See National Reserve (page 31)
Who Qualifies as a ‘Young Farmer’
To qualify for participation in the Young Farmers Scheme, a farmer must meet all of the following conditions;
S/he is participating in the Basic Payment SchemeS/he is aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when s/he first submits an application under the Basic Payment SchemeS/he is setting up an agricultural holding for the first time or has set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of the Basic Payment Scheme applicationS/he has successfully completed a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at FETAC level 6 or its equivalentDefining ‘Young Farmer’ for Groups
Some young farmers may undertake their farming activities as part of a group, e.g. in a joint herdnumber, a partnership or a company. In these circumstances, the group will be considered to meet the definition of a ‘young farmer’ if the following conditions are met;
At least one person in the group must meet the definition of ‘young farmer’ as outlined aboveThat ‘young farmer’ must exercise effective and long term control over the group in terms ofdecisions related to the management, benefits and financial risks and will provide verifiable evidence
of such if required
The ‘five year’ period will be counted from the time that the ‘young farmer’ assumes such decision making power within the group.The payment will cease when the ‘young farmer’ ceases to exercise effective and long term control over the group in terms of decisions related to management, benefits and financial risksCalculating the Young Farmers Payment
For persons who qualify as ‘young farmers’, the payment is governed by the following conditions;
1. Duration of the PaymentA young farmer will receive the payment under the Young Farmers Scheme for a maximum period of five years. The ‘five years’ is dated from the year of setting up of the holding in his/her own name (i.e. from when the young farmer is allocated a herd-number or if in a group from when the young farmer exercises effective and long term control over the group in terms of decisions related to management, benefits and financial risks). However the payment will only be made for any year of the ‘five years’ which fall in 2015 or after.
For example, for a young farmer who sets up in early 2013, the ‘five years’ would cover the period 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. However as the Young Farmers payment is only available from 2015 onwards, such a young farmer would only receive the payment for the three years 2015, 2016, 2017.
A young farmer who establishes his holding in early 2015 would receive the full five years of the Young Farmers payment.
2. Maximum Number of Entitlements to which payment is appliedThe Young Farmers Scheme payment will be based on the number of entitlements activated by the
young farmer but with a maximum limit of 50.
If a young farmer holds 60 entitlements and draws down payment on all of them, the Young Farmers payment will only be applied to 50.
If a young farmer holds 60 entitlements but draws down payment on only 45 entitlements, the Young Farmers payment will only be applied to 45.
If a young farmer declares 20 entitlements and draws down payment on all of them, he will receive the Young Farmers payment on 20.
If two young farmers form part of a partnership under the same herd-number and draw down payment on 80 entitlements, the payment will issue only on 50.
3. Payment per EntitlementIn Ireland the Young Farmers payment will be calculated as 25% of the Young Farmers Scheme national average payment per hectare (based on the national ceiling) multiplied by the number of entitlements activated by the young farmer (subject to the maximum number of 50 as noted in point 2 above).
The scheme will assist young farmers in the initial stages of establishing a farming enterprise in their own name by providing an additional payment. Ireland will allocate 2% of its national ceiling (€24,300,060.00) to the scheme in 2015.
Note that the Young Farmers Scheme and the National Reserve share the same definition of young farmer. In many cases, a person who qualifies as a young farmer but who does not hold entitlements or holds entitlements which are below the National Reserve national average will be eligible for an allocation of entitlements from the National Reserve and will then also receive the payment under the Young Farmers Scheme. See National Reserve (page 31)
Who Qualifies as a ‘Young Farmer’
To qualify for participation in the Young Farmers Scheme, a farmer must meet all of the following conditions;
S/he is participating in the Basic Payment SchemeS/he is aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when s/he first submits an application under the Basic Payment SchemeS/he is setting up an agricultural holding for the first time or has set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of the Basic Payment Scheme applicationS/he has successfully completed a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at FETAC level 6 or its equivalentDefining ‘Young Farmer’ for Groups
Some young farmers may undertake their farming activities as part of a group, e.g. in a joint herdnumber, a partnership or a company. In these circumstances, the group will be considered to meet the definition of a ‘young farmer’ if the following conditions are met;
At least one person in the group must meet the definition of ‘young farmer’ as outlined aboveThat ‘young farmer’ must exercise effective and long term control over the group in terms ofdecisions related to the management, benefits and financial risks and will provide verifiable evidence
of such if required
The ‘five year’ period will be counted from the time that the ‘young farmer’ assumes such decision making power within the group.The payment will cease when the ‘young farmer’ ceases to exercise effective and long term control over the group in terms of decisions related to management, benefits and financial risksCalculating the Young Farmers Payment
For persons who qualify as ‘young farmers’, the payment is governed by the following conditions;
1. Duration of the PaymentA young farmer will receive the payment under the Young Farmers Scheme for a maximum period of five years. The ‘five years’ is dated from the year of setting up of the holding in his/her own name (i.e. from when the young farmer is allocated a herd-number or if in a group from when the young farmer exercises effective and long term control over the group in terms of decisions related to management, benefits and financial risks). However the payment will only be made for any year of the ‘five years’ which fall in 2015 or after.
For example, for a young farmer who sets up in early 2013, the ‘five years’ would cover the period 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. However as the Young Farmers payment is only available from 2015 onwards, such a young farmer would only receive the payment for the three years 2015, 2016, 2017.
A young farmer who establishes his holding in early 2015 would receive the full five years of the Young Farmers payment.
2. Maximum Number of Entitlements to which payment is appliedThe Young Farmers Scheme payment will be based on the number of entitlements activated by the
young farmer but with a maximum limit of 50.
If a young farmer holds 60 entitlements and draws down payment on all of them, the Young Farmers payment will only be applied to 50.
If a young farmer holds 60 entitlements but draws down payment on only 45 entitlements, the Young Farmers payment will only be applied to 45.
If a young farmer declares 20 entitlements and draws down payment on all of them, he will receive the Young Farmers payment on 20.
If two young farmers form part of a partnership under the same herd-number and draw down payment on 80 entitlements, the payment will issue only on 50.
3. Payment per EntitlementIn Ireland the Young Farmers payment will be calculated as 25% of the Young Farmers Scheme national average payment per hectare (based on the national ceiling) multiplied by the number of entitlements activated by the young farmer (subject to the maximum number of 50 as noted in point 2 above).
SHARING OPTIONS