Proposed 24% CAP funding cut for Irish farmers 'hasn't gone away'
A proposed 24% cut in funding for Irish farmers under the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is "still on the table", the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) has warned.
The comments follow confirmation from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon that EU agriculture ministers have agreed a partial negotiating position on the CAP for 2028 to 2034.
This will form the basis of the Council of the EU's opinion when it starts negotiations with the European Parliament on the next CAP.
ICSA Rural Development chair Edmond Phelan said that despite some new promises, a proposed cut in CAP funding for Ireland "hasn’t gone away".
"The problem is that we are talking about new measures and new commitments for farmers, but the proposed budget would mean around €2.5 billion less for Ireland over the period from 2028 to 2034. That is a huge reduction, and we cannot ignore it," he said.
Phelan said farmers need clarity on what the proposed changes will mean for their payments.
"Direct payments are a vital part of farm income. The move to a single funding structure raises questions about how direct payments and rural development supports will be protected.
"We also need to be clear that the funding set aside for CAP must be used to support farmers.
"The possibility of further funding through the wider national plan is not a substitute for a properly funded CAP, particularly when there is no guarantee that this additional money will go to agriculture.
"Farmers need to know that the money they depend on will still be there," he added.
CAP
Phelan said supports for young farmers, environmental measures and help for farmers facing crises must be backed by funding.
"How can we expect young people to take up farming if the financial support that underpins farm incomes is being reduced?
"Generational renewal cannot happen without viable farm incomes.
"The overall EU budget for 2028 to 2034, including the final CAP allocation, is still to be agreed, and the government must press for a better deal for Irish farmers.
"We cannot ask farmers to produce our food and meet new requirements while cutting the support they rely on.
"CAP has delivered real value for Europe. The current budget costs about 34 cent per EU citizen per day.
"For that small daily cost, we need a CAP that gives farmers the support they need to keep farming and allows the next generation to see a future in it," he said.
