The chair of the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG), Bobby Miller, has questioned whether it is time to scrap entitlements in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from 2028.

“Is it time to start scrapping entitlements going forward for the next CAP? Are they really doing the active farmer a lot of service?” he said at an IGGG meeting this week. “Are we getting bang for our buck from the CAP?” he asked.

Miller said around €20m will leave tillage farmers’ pockets over the course of the current CAP. The Laois man also asked should more CAP money be transferred from Pillar I to Pillar II. “Will the eco schemes from Pillar I go to the active farmers or the entitlement holders?” he said.

He told the Irish Farmers Journal active farmers, rather than entitlement holders, need to be rewarded.