The €156 farmers are set to receive for attending the new Agri-Environment and Farm Safety Training Scheme (AETS) may not be sufficient to cover the labour costs of a worker replacing the farmer while they attend the training day, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has warned.

Should a day’s labour be costed at €20/hour against the Department of Agriculture’s €156 farmer payment, attendance at the environmental training leaves the farmer with a negative return.

Consultants will see better returns from the scheme, according to the ICMSA’s farm and rural affairs committee chair Dennis Drennan.

“This AETS is not even started, but it’s already going to involve farmers probably losing money for participating, while the consultants do very nicely indeed and the proposed new CAP involves more and more funds diverted away from farmers to pay professionals,” said Drennan.

“The Department-certified trainers will be paid €90 per farmer attending the one-day course up to a maximum of 25 farmers, so a possible total payment for their day of €2,250,” he added.

Last in the queue

Drennan continued by saying that pay differential highlighted deeper divisions between farmers and advisers in the sector.

“This is just the latest manifestation of the old idea that the farmer is last in the queue and has to take what’s left after all the people in suits have helped themselves.

“We do not accept that and will go on pointing out that all the consultants and trainers actually depend on us for their living – it’s not the other way around,” he said.

The chair called on the Department to address “disproportionate” payment rates for the trainers and the farmer attendees to ensure that farmers are enabled to play their part in protecting the environment.