The delivery of payments to farmers in the next CAP must be a relatively simple system which doesn’t involve a whole raft of dense, complex and often contradictory schemes, ICMSA president Pat McCormack has said.

Commenting on the CAP strategic plan released by the Department of Agriculture, he said the system must be easily regulated, easily understandable and easily accessed.

It’s certainly time that we started to reference a definition of farmers against a larger socioeconomic picture

He said there needs to be an accurate and long overdue definition of an ‘active farmer’ that goes past the obvious and, for instance, tries to incorporate the farmer’s economic benefit to their community.

“It’s certainly time that we started to reference a definition of farmers against a larger socioeconomic picture,” he said.

Box-ticking

IFA president Tim Cullinan said that unless the Government is prepared to show its hand regarding co-financing, it will amount to nothing more than a box-ticking exercise.

The minister needs to spell out how these farmers can be kept viable

“The Government must commit to the maximum allowable level of national co-funding of schemes. They are asking for feedback on draft schemes without telling us what the budget is.

“There is a cohort of farmers who are going to be devastated by this reform. The minister needs to spell out how these farmers can be kept viable. He must develop properly funded schemes, targeted at productive farmers to keep them in business,” he said.

INHFA president Colm O’Donnell said the active farmer definition must refer to “any person carrying out an agricultural activity on the agricultural areas of the holding at the disposal of the farmer for a period not going beyond two years”.

This definition ensures all payments only go to those engaged in an agricultural activity on the lands at their disposal, he said.

He added that eco schemes must not be subjected to internal convergence and be available to all farmers at a uniform level of payment per hectare with equal opportunities and measures for all types of farming enterprises.