Every GAA team is familiar with the cliché that championships aren’t won in August – it’s the hard work that begins in January that brings silverware.

The Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA) believe preparations for a new CAP need to start now. With the current programme due to end this year, and the next round likely to be delayed until 2023, farmers are facing a two-year gap before the new policy is rolled out.

“There’s a vacuum now between programmes, and a vacuum creates uncertainty within the industry,” ACA president Tom Canning tells the Irish Farmers Journal.

The immediate priority for the association is to secure vital farmer payments for the interim period. The two schemes Canning earmarks are GLAS and TAMS.

Some 36,000 GLAS contracts, valued at approximately €150m, are due to expire on 31 December. TAMS, with an allocation of €395m, will close for new applications on the same date.

“There is huge demand for TAMS and a hunger there for investment in facilities,” Canning explains.

Extending TAMS for a further two years will mitigate panic among farmers and the farm building sector, the ACA believes. It will also prevent a rise in building costs and an overload of the application system, as farmers rush to apply for grant aid.

The need to train advisers

To ensure advisers are ready for the new CAP, the ACA wants to see an overhaul of the Farm Advisory Service, with funding introduced to train private advisers.

It has proposed a programme for its registered farm advisor members, which would begin on 1 November 2020.

There won’t be a subtle change for farmers

It estimates over €9,000 is invested in up-skilling public advisers annually and it wants to see the same commitment for training its members.

Canning stresses that if the next CAP is to successfully fulfil its ambitions, all advisers will have to play a central role.

“There won’t be a subtle change for farmers. The three most important things in terms of agriculture in Ireland going forward are environment, environment, environment. There’s no question or doubt about that.”

Role in a new REPS

One area where Canning believes advisers can play a major role is in the development of a new REPS.

The ACA has proposed a baseline survey of every farm be carried out by trained advisers, to measure and assess environmental assets. Every farm would be assigned a score to determine the farmer’s payment. A higher score would mean a higher payment and farmers would have access to measures to improve their score.

There’s a conflict between schemes and eligible area

“In many cases, our members have over 30 years interaction with our client’s family and farm, and who best to discuss, evaluate and influence any changes?” Canning asks.

“For far too long, the focus has not been on environmental assets, like peatland, like scrubland, and there’s been no payment on them since REPS,” Canning says.

“There’s a conflict between schemes and eligible area. A perfect example would be a scrub area in the corner of a field that has taken 100 years to establish, and it’s actually good biodiversity. It’s a good habitat area for both flora and fauna.

“Then, say, you have an inspection, and there’s a half a hectare involved. Suddenly, that’s taken off your Basic Payment and you’re short for entitlements. What’s going to happen on 1 September? You’re going to come in and you’re going to take the whole lot up.

“And it will be replaced with native trees or buffer zones along watercourses, which has its merits, but I think we need to be looking at what’s already there and building on that.”

To ensure a successful scheme for both farmers and the environment, local knowledge has to be harnessed during the design of the scheme, Canning stresses. Prior to the rollout of a new scheme in the next CAP, Canning suggests that REPS be piloted on up to 12,000 farms from across all sectors, with a focus on new entrants and those not in GLAS.

I think you would bring every farmer with you if they had to complete some element of training alongside other farmers

The ACA has set its sights on a reformed knowledge transfer (KT) programme over the next two years, to prepare farmers for the new CAP.

“We need to achieve a mindset of behavioural change among farmers. One of the most effective things I ever did was actually GLAS training. I’d love to see more interaction, explaining to farmers the theory behind what they’re being asked to do.

“I think you would bring every farmer with you if they had to complete some element of training alongside other farmers.”

As part of a new KT, the ACA wants to see greater integration between itself and Teagasc, to allow all farmers equal access to state-funded research. It is calling for a memorandum of understanding between the two bodies, along with the creation of a focus group including the Department.

Our members are enthusiastic, innovative and ready for the new challenges

“There are no formal agreements in place between the ACA and Teagasc to ensure their world-class research is disseminated to all Irish farmers. We have 55,000 clients throughout our 160-member network and the benefits of finding ways to link in with Teagasc and all State agencies to get critical data and information to farmers is the most important issue,” Canning says.

With 75% of Irish farmers engaging annually with a private or public advisor, the country starts from a strong position compared to our EU counterparts.

“Our members are enthusiastic, innovative and ready for the new challenges. We have taken a very active approach recently in contributing to all elements of public policy, as we want to be a vital part in helping farmers improve farm sustainability and their incomes,” Canning concludes.

As any successful manager will tell you, the secret to success is buy-in from the players.