The redistribution of CAP payments has seen significant shifts in the destination of funds over the last five years, Irish Farmers Journal analysis reveals.

The current leg of payment convergence ended in 2019 and the latest figures from the Department of Agriculture detail the new county breakdown of Ireland’s €1.19bn in direct payments.

Compared to 2014, the final year of the Single Farm Payment (SFP), there has been an overall trend of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) money moving east to west.

Counties Mayo, Donegal, Kerry and Galway have seen the largest increases to their share of Ireland’s CAP funds.

In 2014, farmers in Mayo received €57.5m in direct payments. This increased to €73m in 2019.

Farmers in Donegal now receive €13m more, up from €46.7m to €59.7m, while Kerry payments have been boosted by €12.1m to €70m.

Reductions

In contrast, Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny, and Wexford have seen the largest reductions.

There is €10.6m less in CAP payments flowing into Co Cork, down from €164.2m in 2014 to €153.6m in 2019. In Tipperary, payments have fallen from just above €100m to €91.5m.

Payments to farmers in Kilkenny have reduced by €5.5m to €47.3, and by €4.8m in Wexford to €57.6m.

Since 2014, 17 counties have seen a reduction to their total direct payments while nine have seen an increase.

While overall a county’s share of the CAP budget may have increased or decreased, there will be farmers within each county who have gained or lost depending on their entitlement value.

The total money flowing to farmers in Longford, Limerick, Kildare, Louth and Westmeath has reduced by between €1m and €2m.

There were reductions of between €2m and €4m for Meath, Laois, Monaghan, Offaly, Carlow, and Waterford.

Sligo and Leitrim gained €3.3m and €4.3m, respectively, while payments to farmers in Galway increased by €8.3m.

There were gains of less than €1m for Dublin, Wicklow, and Roscommon and losses less than €1m for Cavan and Clare.