An agriculture qualification up to FECTAC level six is a key criteria for the new young farmers scheme under the new Common Agricultural Policy.

This is according to Paud Evans, single farm payment specialist at the Department of Agriculture, who was speaking at the Agricultural Science Association CAP funding seminar this week.

In terms of details of the scheme, he said it will be a top-up on the basic payment scheme for young farmers. It is proposed to be maximum five years and the five years dates from the set up of the holding. In addition, he revealed that the payment will be given on a maximum of 50 entitlements and it will be 25 per cent of the national average payment per hectare.

The criteria is aged 40 years of less in the first year of BPS application, an established holding within the previous five years and an agricultural qualification up to FETAC level six.

The Department of Agriculture is currently producing a farmer’s CAP 2015 booklet for publication this spring.

More reports from the ASA to follow

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