Getting the single application completed online by midnight on Wednesday 15 May is still the most important task of the year.
The latest figures from DAERA indicate that around half of the expected 25,000 claimants have completed the application to date.
It’s not something that should be left to the last minute and there is help available, whether in the form of a DAERA workshop (ring 028-713-19955), or by calling the Single Application Advisory Service on 0300-200-7848.
In general, the rules are unchanged. Land used to claim entitlements must be eligible for the entire calendar year and the person who is undertaking the majority of agricultural actively is the person who should claim.
Many landowners did act fairly, but others still fail to appreciate that CAP money is only for genuine farmers
It’s this latter definition of an ‘active farmer’ that caused issues when the previous CAP changes were introduced in 2015. Many landowners did act fairly, but others still fail to appreciate that CAP money is only for genuine farmers.
While it was mainly a problem of our own making (we originally let 12,000 landowners into the system in 2005), it is interesting to see pressure coming on other EU member states to ensure that CAP money for the next reform period (2021-2027) goes to active farmers. It is something currently being debated in the Republic of Ireland, where retired farmers have, up to now, still been able to make claims.
Also up for debate south of the border is convergence towards a national average payment of €266/ha. While NI is well down this road (payments will potentially converge at €330/ha in 2021), there are still farmers in the south receiving €700/ha this year. The EU has proposed that all payments should be 75% of the national average by 2027.
Assuming a likely 5% EU budget cut, farmers in the South will receive on average around €250/ha over the next seven years.
However, they also have access to well-funded rural development schemes. Farmers in NI will be at a severe disadvantage if we receive significantly less.
Read more
Young farmers have their say on defining the active farmer
Payment convergence: the story so far
Getting the single application completed online by midnight on Wednesday 15 May is still the most important task of the year.
The latest figures from DAERA indicate that around half of the expected 25,000 claimants have completed the application to date.
It’s not something that should be left to the last minute and there is help available, whether in the form of a DAERA workshop (ring 028-713-19955), or by calling the Single Application Advisory Service on 0300-200-7848.
In general, the rules are unchanged. Land used to claim entitlements must be eligible for the entire calendar year and the person who is undertaking the majority of agricultural actively is the person who should claim.
Many landowners did act fairly, but others still fail to appreciate that CAP money is only for genuine farmers
It’s this latter definition of an ‘active farmer’ that caused issues when the previous CAP changes were introduced in 2015. Many landowners did act fairly, but others still fail to appreciate that CAP money is only for genuine farmers.
While it was mainly a problem of our own making (we originally let 12,000 landowners into the system in 2005), it is interesting to see pressure coming on other EU member states to ensure that CAP money for the next reform period (2021-2027) goes to active farmers. It is something currently being debated in the Republic of Ireland, where retired farmers have, up to now, still been able to make claims.
Also up for debate south of the border is convergence towards a national average payment of €266/ha. While NI is well down this road (payments will potentially converge at €330/ha in 2021), there are still farmers in the south receiving €700/ha this year. The EU has proposed that all payments should be 75% of the national average by 2027.
Assuming a likely 5% EU budget cut, farmers in the South will receive on average around €250/ha over the next seven years.
However, they also have access to well-funded rural development schemes. Farmers in NI will be at a severe disadvantage if we receive significantly less.
Read more
Young farmers have their say on defining the active farmer
Payment convergence: the story so far
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