The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has demanded that all farmers should be able to avail of higher payment rates in the new Agri-Environment Climate Measure (AECM) .
With a budget of €1.5 billion, the scheme forms part of the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which will run from 2023 to 2027.
However, concerns have been raised that the proposed budget may not be enough to meet demand from farmers wanting to take part in the scheme.
Up to 20,000 farmers, in eight areas identified by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) for environmental characteristics, would be able to get payments of up to €10,500. The average payment for these farmers, who would be part of proposed co-operative project teams, will be €7,400.
A further 30,000 farmers would be able to take part in a “general option” under the scheme; this would have an average payment of €5,000 which could increase to a maximum of around €7,300.
AECM
IFA Rural Development chair, Michael Biggins said the higher AECM payment rates must be available to all farmers who participate.
“The payment rate of €10,500/farmer must not be limited to 20,000 farmers in the co-operative areas identified by the department and it cannot include non-productive investments required as part of the scheme.
“IFA welcomes that prescription-based measures offer a large list of options, as we requested. However, it’s critical that it would recognise existing features and continue to enhance earlier schemes,” Biggins stated.
“Results-based measures can have a major negative impact on payments. They must be realistic; suitable for the relevant sectors; and provide for simple scoring which is easily defined. They must also be practical and achievable,” the IFA chair continued.
“The proposal is to open the scheme over a number of tranches and it is proposed to limit the number of farmers participating in the scheme to 50,000. This will not meet demand, based on current number participating in GLAS and the number who applied for the Results Based Environmental Agri-Pilot (REAP),” he added.
Biggins explained that there would be a “real issue of transition” when farmers finish GLAS and then must wait for the various tranches to open for AECM.
“In light of the importance of GLAS/AECM payments to farmers’ incomes, it is essential that all applicants under all tranches be accepted and paid in 2023, or that GLAS contracts are extended to bridge the gap,” Biggins concluded.
Meanwhile, the IFA Hill Committee chair, Caillin Conneely said that farmers who choose to participate in AECM should not be forced in to the co-operative project option.