CAP installation aid proposal a 'huge leap' for young Irish farmers
A proposal for installation aid to remain as a mandatory measure under the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is "a huge leap for Ireland’s young farmers", according to the Macra president.
Josephine O’Neill welcomed the general partial approach to the next CAP brokered by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon on Monday night (October 26).
While it does not address a 24% cut to the overall CAP budget or 10% ring-fenced funding for young farmers, O'Neill believes the agreement is positive for young farmers on several policy fronts.
"Ireland is currently the only EU member state without a dedicated installation aid provision for young farmers, putting them at a severe competitive disadvantage.
"Starting a farm requires massive upfront capital for purchasing livestock, building infrastructure, and securing land rights, which young farmers typically lack.
"While our minister often says TAMS is our version of installation aid, speaking to other young farmers in Brussels this week, they avail of both so now we can finally level the playing field," she said.
Installation aid
The Macra president also welcomed the partial general approach offering flexibility for member states to consider a beneficiary as a 'young farmer' from the first moment of support for a maximum duration of seven years.
"We are also delighted to see that the potential for a young farmer TAMS rate of 85% still stands as the negotiations progress," she said.
However, O’Neill noted caution around some elements which she said Macra are "wary of".
These include the proposal that would make the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme voluntary at member state level, as well as the removal of the mandatory skills criterion for young farmers.
The Macra president also pointed to the lack of certainty around the ring-fenced young farmer funding as a concern as negotiations progress.
"Disappointingly, overall ambition has softened in how the European Commission’s proposed starter pack will be programmed under the next CAP.
"Ireland’s negotiation box has proposed that member states must choose at least three measures for young farmers as part of the starter pack.
"However, Ireland’s current CAP Strategic Plan already has three targeted young farmer measures – the Complimentary Income Support for Young Famers (CISFY), a higher rate of TAMS and the young farmer national reserve.
"Softening the proposals under the starter pack to just three measures, threatens the ambition to support generational renewal under the next CAP," she said.
Macra is calling for this mandatory minimum requirement under the starter pack to increase to include supports such as subsidised farm relief services, advisory services and training, financial instruments and installation loans.
Commissioner
The Macra president was among a European council of young farmers (CEJA) delegation who met with European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen in Brussels yesterday.
"I was heartened to hear the commissioner’s commitment to food security. He said that if we want to see our fridges and supermarket shelves full, we cannot leave our fields empty.
"He also said that a succession scheme under the next CAP is something he is confident can be delivered.
"The commissioner also commented on how there are “people who don’t even work the land” in receipt of CAP payments. This, he said, he doesn’t like.
"Macra believes that this further reinforces the need for an active farmer definition which ensures that the meaningful support goes to those actively involved in food production," O'Neill said.
