The Dealer was taken aback to hear that the European Parliament’s chief CAP negotiator considers medium-sized farms to include holdings right up to 250ha – that’s 625ac in old money to you or me.

The comments from MEP Norbert Lins came at a recent meeting in Mullingar and raised quite a few eyebrows in an audience one would assume had quite a few present who would have described themselves as medium-sized farmers.

Amendments to the current CAP sought to spare small farmers – which the EU considers to be those farming less than 10ha – from the pressures of regulation and Mr Lins is keeping an eye out for the 250ha medium-sized farmer in talks for the next CAP.

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Will the typical Irish beef, sheep, dairy or tillage farmer find themselves too big to be considered small and too small to be considered medium, The Dealer wonders.