Farm payments could be cut by an average of €2,000 in the next CAP. An Irish Farmers Journal analysis of leaked CAP documents shows that the average Irish farmer currently receiving €14,400 would see their payment fall to €12,334.

The proposals would see Ireland’s CAP budget reduced by 14%, with payments to Irish farmers slashed by €195m per annum.

EU heads of state are meeting in Brussels today (Thursday) to consider the proposals.

IFA president Tim Cullinan has called on An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to make it clear that Ireland will veto any deal that does not include a CAP budget which protects farm incomes.

As negotiations on the EU budget for the next seven years begin to heat up, European Council president Charles Michel has tabled a CAP budget of €329bn, a drop of €54bn compared with the current budget.

Under the proposals, 10% would be cut from direct payments while the budget for rural development schemes would be slashed by 24%. It is also proposed that 40% of the expenditure in this reduced CAP will be dedicated to climate action.

If the cut is applied evenly across all member states, Ireland’s allocation for direct payments would be cut by €123m to €1.09bn and by €73m to €231m for schemes.

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