The consultation document for the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (CSP), which was released over the weekend, outlined how producer organisations (POs) in the beef and sheep sectors can potentially benefit from the future CAP from 2023-2027.

Funding will be made available to cover or partially cover the costs for POs in seeking legal and business advice when they are setting up, as well as administrative costs.

The aim of this intervention is to provide support to groups of producers wishing to be recognised as POs in the beef and sheep sectors.

The possibility of supporting groups setting up POs in other sectors (e.g. potatoes, amenity plants, cereals) is also being considered.

There is a relatively low level of participation in POs in Ireland compared to other countries and the consultation CSP document outlines a need to increase this level of participation “in order to improve the farmer’s position in the value chain”.

Applications for recognition of POs will be taken on a rolling basis from 2023 to 2027.

Funding will be available for three years. Support in year one is intended to be provided for advisory costs and for administrative functions.

Support in year two and year three will be provided for administrative functions only.

The support for advisory costs covers a contribution for the engagement of ‘facilitators’ for legal and business advice.

It is proposed to open a call for these facilitators and to provide training to them so they can provide advisory services specific to the establishment of POs in the beef, sheep and (possibly) other sectors.

Support provided for administrative functions will contribute towards administrative costs, including the engagement of administrative human resources and the purchase of relevant technology such as hardware and software.

In order to be eligible, the applying PO must: be set up on the initiative of producers and be led by producers; have a minimum of 20 members; be constituted in line with requirements under relevant articles of the EU Common Market Organisation Regulation; and be registered with the Companies Registration Office (CRO).

It is intended by government that an estimated target of a certain number of POs will be established in the first three years of the new CAP, with a total indicative financial allocation of a certain amount of funding (in millions) for the period 2023 to 2027.