Meeting will seeks to address support and fairness for farmers

The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) are holding a series of regional and national meetings to kickstart a campaign for the distribution of funding in the next programming period of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
A meeting is scheduled to take place this Friday, January 25, at 8pm in the Clanree Hotel in Letterkenny.

Public Representatives
The national President of INHFA, Colm O'Donnell, said that it is of the utmost importance that public representatives, which should include members of the European Parliament and Dáil deputies should be present.
“It’s important that the MEPs hear the issues that are important, to highlight areas in the Commission's CAP legislative document that would need to be amended by the European Parliament to ensure a fairer CAP going forward,” Mr O'Donnell said.
He said that it is important that all farmers will be in attendance as the INHFA will be making a presentation on the night to inform all farmers of the current proposals in Commissioner Phil Hogan’s CAP legislative proposal.

Concern
Areas of particular concern to the INHFA are; the redistribution of Pillar 1 funding through the new basic income support for sustainability (BISS) and the ecoscheme, a new mandatory element in Pillar 1, to introduce climate adaption and measures.

 Peatlands and Wetlands
“The next round CAP was proposed and additional conditionality attached to the BISS which if implemented will leave it almost impossible to build a payment on certain land types, particularly carbon rich soil, such as, peatlands and wetlands, and all lands adjacent to water courses which are now required to adequately adapt and protect against pollution and run-offs which in the current programme were incentified measures in Pillar 2.
The INHFA are currently formulating a policy position to look at sustainability of our national suckler herd.
Options available in the CAP legislative document include the option of coupled support, sustainable grazing measures and welfare measures.

Retirement
The INHFA have also proposed to include in the CAP proposals a measure to assist generational renewal in the form of an early farm retirement scheme to incentivise the passing on of the family farm to the next generation.
“While there are incentives in the proposals for young farmers, without this option, the retiring farmer have been unable to pass on the farm because of existing financial commitments,” Mr O'Donnell said.
He said that The INHFA's position is that the internal convergence model continues so that by the end of the next programming period, 2027, that Ireland has reached full convergence: “,
“What this means is that all farmers by 2027 will be on the same level of payment for each eligible hectare,” he said.

Burden

He added that the next round of CAP must address the lack of support or lands affected by the nature directives (designated Natura 2000, lands or network) that have not acknowledged the burden attached to the designation and the state enforced costs associated with the 39 notifiable actions.
The INHFA propose further targeting of money/funding in the next round of CAP towards the areas with the highest level of natural constraint.
It would be advisable for all farmers to come in order for them to learn of how this may affect the viability of the family farm.

Speakers

Guest speakers at the event are MEPs Marian Harkin, Matt Carthy and Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan.
Deputy guest speakers include, Charlie McConalogue FF, Martin Kenny SF and Independent Thomas Pringle.
For further information and guidance go to www. inhfa.ie.