Responding to the launch of a public consultation on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), IFA president Joe Healy said the fundamental focus must be on ensuring farmers achieve viable incomes in return for the high quality food they produce, and their efforts towards protecting the rural environment and supporting rural development.

The IFA president said that key priorities for European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan must include:

  • Improving farm incomes by securing a stronger CAP budget.
  • A properly functioning market that returns a viable price to farmers.
  • Ensuring that direct payments go to active farmers who protect the environment and produce quality food.
  • An enhanced Rural Development Programme for farm schemes.
  • Healy said: “Strong funding for the CAP budget is justified by the multiple benefits the policy brings for all European citizens, in terms of sustainable production of affordable food, environmental protection and economic development.”

    He warned against any reduction in the CAP budget as a result of Brexit, saying that if EU solidarity means anything, then the budget shortfall must be made good so that farmers are not hit with CAP cuts when the UK leaves.

    Healy welcomed Commissioner Hogan’s commitment to making CAP less complex and building on simplification measures in the review, saying he hoped this would reduce the unnecessary stress burden on farmers.

    He noted that the future CAP must encourage on-farm investment, improvements in efficiency, support young farmers entering the sector and provide additional instruments to tackle volatility.

    The IFA president welcomed Commissioner Hogan’s indication that he is seeking to develop additional instruments to strengthen farmers’ resilience against volatility. He said any such instruments must be in addition to effective market support measures to protect farm incomes in times of market collapse.