The INHFA has called a national rally "to target the imbalance in the ANC scheme and to ensure the new CAP deal will deliver for all farmers" at 8pm this Friday.

The public meeting will take place in the Knockranny House Hotel in Westport, Co Mayo.

As new ANC rates are to be decided following the review of areas eligible to the scheme, INHFA president Colm O’Donnell said the payment bands need to reflect the constraints.

As revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal this week, the Department of Agriculture's proposal is to focus the highest increase on smaller hill farms, with a maximum payment boost of €200 in that category.

Conditions

O'Donnell also outlined concerns over environmental conditions proposed to access basic payments under the CAP after 2020.

"These CAP proposals could easily lead to a situation where intensive farmers on dryer soils would be allowed drive on and increase production while farmers on the hills and lowland farmers on wetter soils would be expected to protect the environment and take on the full burden of climate change through carbon sequestration measures," he said.

The meeting will hear from agriculture spokespeople for Fianna Fáil Charlie McConalogue and Sinn Féin Martin Kenny, independent TD Michale Fitzmaurice, MEPs Luke Ming Flanagan and Marian Harkin and a Government spokesperson.

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