When the decision was taken ahead of the last CAP reform in 2015 to move towards a single flat rate, area-based payment in NI, it was inevitable that those owning larger blocks of land would benefit the most.

The previous CAP regime had created a system of entitlements effectively around the value of headage-based claims made in the period from 2000 to 2002. Farmers on more productive land generally had the highest entitlement values per hectare.

Analysis by DAERA showed that this works out at an extra €4m/year moving to the SDA, over the period from 2015 to 2021

The move to flat rate, area-based payments brought a movement of money from lowland and disadvantaged area (DA) land towards the severely disadvantaged areas (SDA). Analysis by DAERA showed that this works out at an extra €4m/year moving to the SDA, over the period from 2015 to 2021.

Those farming hill ground benefit the most, as they tend to be larger farms, and as can be seen from our analysis of CAP recipients, farms in the SDA dominate the top of the list.

But this must still be put into perspective, and seeing a neighbour with a large payment, but limited production, should not cloud overall judgement. Only 87 farms in NI receive over £100,000 in direct payments, and only 2,892 get more than £25,000.

Looking ahead, there is quite a populist view among some local farmers that they would be better off farming without any payments

The vast majority get under £10,000. And while average farm size in the SDA is greater than in the DA and lowland, the difference is not that great (46ha in the SDA versus 36ha elsewhere).

Looking ahead, there is quite a populist view among some local farmers that they would be better off farming without any payments. Certainly, if the market was able to fully reward farmers for their work that would be a preferable scenario.

But while so many major countries (and EU neighbours) continue to pump money into agriculture to bolster farm incomes (note the $16bn package announced in the US to help farmers affected by the US-China trade war), it is nonsensical to think that we can compete without similar support.

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