The IFA is in discussions the Government on the contentious BEAM scheme, IFA president Tim Cullinan told IFA members on Wednesday night at the first on a series of regional meetings.

“They are going back to Brussels to see if they can get it freed up,” he reported to the meeting chaired by Francie Gorman, the newly elected South Leinster chair.

On the announcement of 2017 as a new reference year for the Sheep Welfare Scheme, Cullinan said: “It’s not 2019 but it’s a start. It will bring a lot of people into the scheme. Up to last Thursday, the scheme was coming out unchanged, but we pushed hard for a change.”

CAP assessment

The IFA’s chief economist Tadhg Buckley presented a comprehensive assessment of the current CAP proposals.

He highlighted the large gap that exists between the EU’s ministerial council, the Parliament and the Commission on many core issues.

“The rate of co-financing of Pillar II is yet to be agreed, ranging from 47% (Parliament) to 57% (Commission). It’s currently 46%,” he explained.

For the Income Support for Young Farmers, the Commission proposes 2%, but the Parliament wants 4%. For convergence, the Commission and Council both want 75% by 2026, but the Parliament is seeking 100%.

Buckley told farmers at the virtual meeting that Climate Action Commissioner Frans Timmermans sees 30% for Pillar I eco-scheme funding “as an absolute minimum, and he’d like it higher”.

“If a farmer loses 20% [of his/her basic payment] to an eco-scheme fund, can he get that 20% back out if he participates in that scheme?” Buckley asked.

Armchair farmers

A lively question and answer session followed, with almost 200 people attending the virtual meeting.

Stephen Arthur and James Murphy raised the issue of armchair farmers, to which Tim Cullinan said the farmer doing the work is the farmer that has to get the supports.

IFA President Tim Cullinan. / Philip Doyle

Buckley said: “All the emphasis on sustainability is on environmental sustainability. There is no impact assessment on the economic sustainability. There are three aspects to sustainability. If the economic side is wrong, the social side will be too.”

If a farmer loses 20% [of his/her basic payment] to an eco-scheme fund, can he get that 20% back out if he participates in that scheme?

Cullinan added: “It’s amazing, the only country to carry out an impact assessment of the CAP proposals is the US! We’ve asked Teagasc, but we will be proceeding with our own impact assessment if necessary.”

Peat and straw

Mel O’Rourke expressed concern on behalf of mushroom growers about both the planned straw incorporation scheme and the ending of peat extraction.

The mushroom sector uses 200,000t of wheaten straw per annum, about one-fifth of all straw produced in Ireland, he said.

He highlighted that peat is essential for mushroom growing, and may have to be imported now. He asked how that could be an environmental gain.

Kildare farmer Tom Malone said: “We are being asked to reduce pesticide and fertiliser usage, but are operating with one hand tied behind our back without CRISPR and gene-editing technology.” Cullinan pointed out in response that the British government has already mentioned considering gene editing.

Changes, from organic nitrate levels on grazing platforms to the camber on farm roadways were “not without merit, but we need more transitional time to adjust to such changes”, said another farmer at the meeting.

Fight tooth and nail

“CAP is going strongly away from food security,” said Carlow’s Derek Deane, adding that “we must fight tooth and nail” to minimise the percentage of money going to the new eco-schemes.

“The CAP proposals contain a bewildering variety of schemes and every one of them is going to cost farmers money,” said Wicklow farmer James Hill, as IFA members debated the detail of the next CAP.

Regional meetings continue around the country over the coming nights.