MEP claims older farmers will be 'forced out' of sector by new CAP
An Irish MEP has claimed that some 28,000 farmers in the Midlands--North-West European Parliament constituency could be "forced out" of the sector by the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The proposals for the next CAP post-2027 were announced last month, with one of a number of controversial changes being a requirement to stop farm payments for pensioners.
In its proposal the European Commission states that member states must ensure that by 2032 at the latest, applicants who reach retirement age, determined by national law, who receive a pension, must no longer receive support under the CAP.
Irish MEP Ciaran Mullooly has claimed that this will result in thousands of farmers being forced to exit the sector when reaching the state pension age.
According to figures provided by Mullooly, the number of farmers that would be impacted by this change in the various counties in the Midlands--North-West constituency varies from almost 600 in Co., Louth to over 5,000 in Co. Galway.
According to those figures, over 4,500 farmers in Co. Mayo would be effected, over 3,100 in Co. Donegal, and over 2,200 in Co. Roscommon.
Several other counties - Laois, Cavan, Meath, Monaghan, Westmeath, Offaly, Sligo and Leitrim - would each see over 1,000 farmers impacted by the proposed change, according to Mullooly's figures.
These figures amount to just under 28,300 farmers in the constituency.
Claiming that these farmers could be forced out of farming upon reaching the state pension age of 66, Mullooly said: "This represents one of the most direct and dangerous policy threats to active older farmers...that I have ever seen.
"These individuals...have dedicated their lives to agriculture; contributed substantially to rural communities and the national economy; and...wish to remain in active farming beyond the retirement age," he added.
"Forcing them off the land without offering viable alternatives is not just unjust, it is a betrayal of decades of service.
The MEP is calling for the introduction of a "well-funded, respectful" retirement scheme for farmers.
He pointed to the Early Farm Retirement Scheme that ran from 1994 to 1998 as a potential model for a future scheme.
"This is not a radical proposal. It's a practical and proven policy that worked before and can work again," he said.
"We must reintroduce such incentives to support voluntary, dignified retirement, rather than forcing farmers out of the sector as if they are surplus to requirements."
The MEP also said that farming "must be treated as a business, and not just a vocation".
"If we want to retain skilled farmers and attract a new generation into the sector, we must ensure that it offers a viable livelihood comparable to other professions," Mullooly said.
