The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will meet this evening (Wednesday, December 1) with representatives of Macra na Feirme to discuss the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and young farmers.
Speaking ahead of the meeting at 5:30p.m in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House, committee chair and Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill said: “Young farmers are critical to the future of Ireland’s agriculture sector, but like our partners across the EU, Irish farming is facing a demographic crisis.
“Just one in 20 farmers are under the age of 35 years, while some 30% are aged 65 and over.
“The CAP has a key role to play over the next six years in the generational renewal needed to bring about the transition to a more sustainable agricultural sector and the growth of rural Ireland.
“The committee looks forward to discussing this and related matters with the representatives of Macra na Feirme.”
The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has 14 members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.
Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has announced some good news for young farmers, confirming that payments under the 2021 National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme have commenced.
The minister said: “I am pleased that payments under the National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme are being issued as both payments play a crucial role in supporting young farmers and new entrants to farming.”
Also, balancing payments under the 2021 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Greening have started on schedule.
The commencement of the BPS balancing payments will bring the total paid under the 2021 scheme to €1.12 billion to almost 121,000 farmers.