Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has confirmed that a minimum stocking density requirement will be part of an ‘active farmer’ definition in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Speaking today as the government announced funding and measures to be included in Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) – which must be submitted to the European Commission by the end of this year – the minister confirmed that a stocking density of 0.15 livestock units (LU) per hectare would be used to determine an ‘active farmer’.
This stocking density would apply to grassland farms. Where other farming activities are concerned, Minister McConalogue said that “a range of other options” would be considered to determine how someone might meet an active farmer definition.
The minister did not give any detail as to what types of animals would qualify as a ‘livestock unit’ under this definition.
The announcement from Minister McConalogue confirms reports from earlier this month, when it emerged that the department was considering a 0.15LU/ha density.
The active farmer definition would apply to a range of payments, including the new eco-schemes.
The minister also confirmed some details on the Agri-Environment Climate Measure (AECM), which will replace the Green, Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) in the next CAP.
Agriland reported in August that 50,000 participants were being anticipated for the scheme. Minister McConalogue confirmed this today, adding that it is expected that the participants will be divided (20,000 and 30,000) according to which of the two measures under the scheme they choose to undertake.
Some 30,000 farmers are expected to undertake mandatory actions focused on habitat enhancement and creation, as well as additional actions focused on low-input grassland and multi-species ley.
For farmers in this cohort, a maximum annual payment of €7,000 will be available, with an expected average payment of €5,000, on a results-basis.
20,000 other farmers will have a further option to participate in a landscape measure, carried out on a cooperative basis with the involvement of local project teams.
The design of this measures will take inspiration from the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Scheme programme on preserving agricultural landscapes.
Farmers in this group are expected to see a maximum payout of €10,000, and an average payout €7,400.
Minister McConalogue said he would continue to engage with farm organisations on the finer details of the scheme.
The scheme is set to be funded to the overall tune of €1.5 billion to 2027, which is a combination of exchequer funding and just over €700 million in Carbon Tax Revenue.
Overall, €1.5 billion of Carbon Tax funds are due to agriculture by 2030.
This means that just over €700 million of Carbon Tax funds will be used to fund the AECM (bolstered by over €750 million in exchequer funding), while the remainder of the Carbon Tax revenue going to agriculture (also just over €750 million) will be allocated across 2028, 2029 and 2030, outside the lifetime of the next CAP.