The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine will bring the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), representing billions of euro in support for Irish farmers, to Cabinet on Tuesday (October, 4).
Charlie McConalogue will seek approval from his cabinet colleagues for the next CAP programme, totalling €9.8 billion, which will run from 2023 to 2027.
Speaking ahead of cabinet, Minister McConalogue said:
“The next CAP is well funded and farmer friendly. It is aimed at supporting farm incomes while also ensuring that farm families continue to play their key role in food production and protecting the environment.
“The next CAP is our most ambitious ever and I am excited to see it roll out over the coming years.”
The European Commission (EC) approved Ireland’s incoming CAP strategic plans on August 31.
The EC has said that the new CAP is designed to shape the transition to a sustainable, resilient and modern European agricultural sector.
The CAP is made up of Pillar I, direct European Union (EU) payments, and Pillar II, which is support payments for carrying out specific actions.
Pillar II is made up of national and EU funding and also includes record national exchequer funding.
The EC has stated that CAP is designed to “support farmers and to ensure Europe’s food security”.
According to the commission, the policy, which was first launched in 1962, is a “partnership between agriculture and society, and between Europe and its farmers”.
New CAP strategic plans are due to be implemented in all European Union countries from January 1, 2023.
Ireland’s incoming CAP contains what has been described as the highest ever level of “environmental ambition” and will include a €1.5 billion agri-environmental scheme, the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), which will pay individual farmers up to €10,500.
The next policy will also include for the first time, specific measures to support women farmers as well as increased payments for organic farmers, suckler farmers and tillage farmers and fund the LEADER rural development programme.
However, the incoming plan has not met with universal approval.
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) said that, due to the rapidly escalating costs of food production, the plan, as it currently stands, will not deal with food security or farm incomes.