McNamara: Incentives for young farmers needed as 'scheme days are over'
President of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) Sean McNamara has called for targeted supports and incentives for young farmers as "the scheme days are over".
McNamara addressed the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon about the key concerns for young farmers at the ICSA annual general meeting (AGM) and conference tonight (Thursday, February 13).
The ICSA president said that the survival of the family farm is "under threat" and that there is "concern" that the next generation will "not see a future in farming at all".
Addressing the minister, McNamara said: "Sustainability cannot be just about the environment. It must be about economic survival too. Farmers cannot be expected to carry the financial burden of policies that leave us worse off."
Speaking about the amendments to the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC 2), he said that the rules risk leaving areas of peatland "waterlogged and unproductive", making farming "unviable and devastating" livelihoods.
"The prospect of land being reclassified and re-wetted without fully considering the impact on active farmers is completely unacceptable.
"Up to 35,000 farmers could be docked money from their direct payments if they do not comply with these rules.
"This is yet another example of a well-intended policy that ignores those working on the ground. ICSA demands urgent clarity and is insisting that no farmer should be left worse off by these changes," McNamara said.
The president also spoke about delayed payments in relation to the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), with figures showing that some 15,000 farmers are still awaiting payment.
"This is our flagship environmental scheme, yet its mismanagement has left a bad taste in farmers’ mouths. Blaming IT issues is simply not good enough.
"Farmers have done the work, and they deserve to be paid on time. If we want farmers to engage in these schemes, they need to be straightforward, fairly rewarded, and, most importantly, reliable in payment," McNamara said.
The ICSA president spoke about further challenges, such as the Mercosur trade deal, which he described as "a direct assault" on Irish and European farmers, and called on the minister to "demand" that Ireland rejects the deal "outright".
McNamara said that even if all issues were addressed, farming "cannot have a future unless we ensure the next generation is willing and able to take over".
"If we want young people to take over family farms, we must tear down the barriers blocking their path. Right now, the reality is stark—crippling red tape, impractical schemes, and constant income uncertainty are pushing young people away from farming," McNamara said.
He said that young people have an "uphill battle" to face within agriculture and that there are two main issues facing the younger generation: finance and planning permission.
He said that the ICSA is calling for a dedicated succession and retirement fund to deliver a structured succession and mentorship scheme that works for both older and younger farmers.
The association is also calling for any farmer over 55 who commits to a structured succession plan should receive a guaranteed minimum annual income of €30,000 for 10 years.
