The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has outlined that under the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), maintaining a stocking rate below 1.2 livestock units per hectare (LU/ha) will be counted as two actions in the eco-scheme.
Ireland’s updated draft CAP Strategic Plan was resubmitted to the European Commission last Friday (July 29). In a recent meeting of the CAP Consultative Committee, the department outlined the changes that were made to the plan before the resubmission.
Under the eco-scheme, participating farmers must undertake two of eight possible actions to receive the full payment. One of these options is the extensive livestock measure, which was altered in response to observations received from the commission earlier in the year.
It now contains an option whereby farmers who maintain a stocking rate of less than 1.2LU/ha are not required to take a second eco-scheme action to receive the full payment.
The stocking rates allowed under the scheme have also changed with the maximum rate permitted reduced to 1.4LU/ha from 1.5LU/ha. The minimum stocking rate has been set to 0.1LU/ha from 0.15LU/ha.
Farmers who select this measure (irrespective of whether it serves as one or two actions) would need to maintain stocking rates between these figures to remain compliant with the eco-scheme.
Other changes
A number of other changes were made to other options under the eco-scheme, including a revision on the use of GPS-controlled fertiliser spreaders and plant-protection product sprayers.
In the revised CAP Strategic Plan, farmers who choose this action must use GPS-controlled technology to apply 100% of their fertiliser/plant-protection products on the holding in a given scheme year. This is a significant rise on the former requirement of 60% in the original draft of the plan.
Given the rising cost of inputs, particularly fertiliser, the cost of this measure may prove prohibitive for farmers who do not currently own their own GPS-capable spreaders/sprayers; however, as with all other actions in the eco-scheme, it remains optional.
Measure eight under the eco-scheme, the planting of multi species swards (MSS), has also been revised in the resubmitted plan. Farmers choosing this option must now sow MSS on at least 7% of their eligible hectares as opposed to 6% in the original draft.
The CAP Consultative Committee is due to meet again in September, although no date has been set as of yet.