The new single farm payments system in 2015 is open to the public for consultation and the Department of Agriculture wants your views.
A comprehensive consultation with all stakeholders in the sector is under way to ascertain views on the application of Pillar 1, which is mainly the single farm payment, of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).
Press advertisements this week invite submissions to be made up to September 20.
To assist in this process, the Department has made available on its website a questionnaire outlining areas where direct payments decisions must be taken, under the headings of Redistributive Payment, Active Farmer, Flexibility between Pillars, Allocation of Entitlements under the Basic Payment Scheme, Convergence, Definition of Permanent Grassland and Pasture, National Reserve, Transfer of Entitlements, Greening, Small Farmers’ Scheme, Crop Diversification, Permanent Grassland, Ecological Focus Area, Young Farmers’ Scheme, Coupled Support and Natural Constraints.
In addition, details of the CAP reform package agreed in Brussels at the end of June is also outlined.
It’s one of the most significant reforms of the CAP since its beginnings in 1962, according to the Department. But fundamental objectives are largely unchanged — a fair standard of living for farmers; a stable, safe and affordable food supply; and balanced rural development.