European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan has said that without measures for generational renewal member states will not get approval for their CAP strategic plans.

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Addressing young farmers at the Macra na Feirme national conference, Commissioner Hogan said with just 6% of farmers under the age of 40, generational renewal needed to be part of the package.

More funding

He said more could be done for young farmers by providing things such as installation aid and low-interest loans and that there was political will to increase funding for young farmers.

He added that he would like to see two and a half to three times more funding provided for young farmers under Pillar I supports.

He stressed it was up to bodies like Macra to ensure appropriate supports were put in place as part of the next CAP. He pointed out that to ensure generational renewal happens two ends need to be addressed: providing opportunities for young farmers but also providing supports for older retiring farmers.

He also said these supports had to be provided in view of additional pressures on the CAP budget to deliver public goods.

He warned that while securing CAP funding for the 2020 budget was difficult, it would be an even bigger battle to secure it post 2027 if farmers did not deliver public goods.

Climate change

He said for the public, sustainability was fast becoming an important word. As it was what customers sought, failure to embrace it would run the risk of losing market share, he said.

For many people, sustainable farming means tackling climate change and Commissioner Hogan said he wanted farmers to be viewed as part of the solution and not the problem.

For many people, sustainable farming means tackling climate change

Ignoring climate change would be “shooting yourself in both feet”, he warned.

“In Netherlands they breached their limits [on phosphorus] and they paid the price. I think we should review our objectives. We are asking farmers to do more and produce more but it would be foolish to send farmers on a wild goose chase and four years down the line they have to cull cows.”