The Oireachtas agriculture committee heard calls to cease CAP payments to big business, armchair farmers and large landowners. \ Barry Cronin
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Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said that the definition of an active farmer eligible to receive CAP payments is something “we are all going to have to reflect on”.
“And you know, if we get that definition right it absolutely will support generational renewal, it absolutely will support people who are doing long-term leasing and give clarity on what the price of that land is,” Minister Heydon told the Oireachtas agriculture committee.
Senator Paul Daly had told the committee that the targeting of payments towards genuine food producers is an area of CAP that “needs to be fixed”.
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“I hate to hear of big CAP cheques going to corporations, going to armchair farmers, going to massive landholders who are not producing any food,” Daly said.
The Oireachtas discussion on CAP came just one week after IFA president Francie Gorman stated that the association is unanimous in seeking a tighter active farmer definition in the CAP to best target income supports to those who are actually farming the land.
A switch towards coupling income supports is a matter Gorman intends the IFA to reopen as part of its input into the next CAP.
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Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said that the definition of an active farmer eligible to receive CAP payments is something “we are all going to have to reflect on”.
“And you know, if we get that definition right it absolutely will support generational renewal, it absolutely will support people who are doing long-term leasing and give clarity on what the price of that land is,” Minister Heydon told the Oireachtas agriculture committee.
Senator Paul Daly had told the committee that the targeting of payments towards genuine food producers is an area of CAP that “needs to be fixed”.
“I hate to hear of big CAP cheques going to corporations, going to armchair farmers, going to massive landholders who are not producing any food,” Daly said.
The Oireachtas discussion on CAP came just one week after IFA president Francie Gorman stated that the association is unanimous in seeking a tighter active farmer definition in the CAP to best target income supports to those who are actually farming the land.
A switch towards coupling income supports is a matter Gorman intends the IFA to reopen as part of its input into the next CAP.
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