The IFA wants to have discussions with the Department of Agriculture on the CAP Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 before it goes to the EU Commission in Brussels for approval sometime around the end of this month. IFA president Eddie Downey this week called on Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to start discussions on the programme.
The IFA wants to have discussions with the Department of Agriculture on the CAP Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 before it goes to the EU Commission in Brussels for approval sometime around the end of this month.
IFA president Eddie Downey this week called on Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to start discussions on the programme.
“There are many outstanding issues to be resolved, such as clarity on the stocking of commonages, opposition to the 80% stocking rule, payment levels for GLAS measures and details of eligible items for grant aid under TAMS II,” he said.
“It is important that all matters are resolved before the programme is formally sent to Brussels at the end of June.”
IFA rural development chairman Flor McCarthy urged the Minister to change the GLAS ranking system in favour of low-income farmers: “Favouring farmers in the selection criteria whose organic nitrogen limits exceeds 140kg of nitrogen per ha and who have over 30ha of tillage is discriminatory against farmers below this nitrogen limit or on smaller tillage farms. Farmers who are on low incomes must get priority.”
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