The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027 will support female farmers through an on-farm investment scheme (currently known as Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes [TAMS]).
This on-farm investment scheme, it is understood, will comprise two levels of grant assistance: one at 40%, and a higher rate of 60%.
The government has committed to ringfencing grant aid for female farmers at a higher rate of 60%.
The development has been welcomed by chair of the Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group (WASG), Hannah Quinn-Mulligan, who said that this financial support will make a difference to a generation of farmers.
She made the comments today (Thursday, October 21) following a meeting of the CAP Consultative Committee, which convened with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.
CAP support for female farmers – a proud moment
“Today is a proud moment to be a woman working on Irish farms and credit to Minister Charlie McConalogue and his team within the department for listening to the WASG and acting on its policy suggestions,” the WASG chair said.
She added that credit is also due to all the farm organisations and stakeholders that supported the WASG: the Irish Farmers’ Association; the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association; the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association; Macra na Feirme; the Irish Organic Association; and the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association.
Less than 4% of all TAMS payments went to female farmers in the current CAP and just 3,000 women (out of 19,000 participants) took part in the knowledge transfer (KT) scheme.
“This will make a huge change to the lives of the 70,000 women working on farms across the country who have been effectively voiceless and invisible up to now.
“WASG recommended that women over-40 should have access to a 60% TAMS grant and that women should have the option of joining female only groups – we welcome the news that both of these measures have been included in the department’s CAP plans,” she said.
“The next step will be to iron out details to make sure that both measures are effective and not misused in any way but it is a very positive first step which will make a difference to a generation of women farming in Ireland.”
Positive CAP engagement
The ICMSA WASG representative, Vanessa Kiely O’Connor said they had a very positive engagement with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Oireachtas agriculture committee throughout the CAP submission process.
“The Irish State’s commitment to gender inclusivity through CAP here will not only have a positive effect on all women in agriculture here in Ireland but will send ripples across the EU,” she said.