The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) strongly supports the European Commission’s plans to introduce a “uniform flat-rate payment” in the scheme that will be the next CAP’s equivalent to Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS).

The hill farmer group has been welcoming of the Commission’s post-2027 plans to scrap the current entitlement-basis in which BISS sits, saying that it will “create a more transparent and equitable system that reflects present-day farming realities rather than outdated historical production models”.

The INHFA believes that a fresh start to per hectare income supports will “finally address the armchair farmer debate” and see funds directed to those carrying out farming activities and contributing towards environmental sustainability.

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However, the association is cold to the proposal from the European Commission to allow headage payments to represent a more sizeable chunk of CAP income supports than member states have been allowed allocate in the current CAP.

The INHFA stated that any funds put into coupled payments would require a cut to the proposed ring-fenced CAP budget for area-based supports.

“Such a measure would increase the administrative burden, create unnecessary bureaucracy and seriously risk market distortion,” it said.

“Coupled schemes can lead to excessive compliance obligations, such as long retention periods, government administration, and greater costs for primary producers. It seriously risks losing support for animal health and welfare measures within the CAP support mechanism.”

The INHFA wants to see the definition of a ‘farmer’ eligible to receive payments set as anyone “who exercises an agricultural activity on the agricultural areas of the holding, contributing to food security”.

The association said that this definition provides a “robust, legally compliant interpretation of the proposed regulation while not discriminating against part-time or pluri-active farmers”.

The INHFA is not sold on the Commission’s proposal to allow for a standalone small farmer scheme that would run separate from a country’s main area-based income support payment, paying up to €3,000.

It justified its rejection of the small farmer option by saying that the measure could increase the administrative burden of both farmers and the Department of Agriculture.

“It would mean annual declarations on behalf of the applicant, undermine the integrity of the ‘farmer’ definition and create exclusion risks for genuine farmers with low output due to environmental constraints.”

On agri-environmental schemes, the INHFA is seeking the continuation of both multi-year and annual scheme options, citing a “real opportunity here to reward extensive livestock production systems and organic production”, as well as suckler and sheep welfare schemes.