The next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) seeks to reward genuine farmers, but defining an active farmer has become a sticking point for farm organisations.

The Irish Farmers Journal asked two part-time young beef farmers at a mart demo in Roscrea for their definition of an active farmer.

Peter O’Dwyer, Annacarty, Tipperary

Peter O’Dwyer

“There should be a minimum stocking rate for an active farmer.

"People who get all these entitlements and lease them out every year for 70% of the value and get €200/acre off their neighbouring dairy farmer, I don’t know how anyone is allowed to farm and hold on to their entitlements in that situation. It just shouldn’t be allowed.

"The BPS has no minimum stocking rate, but you have to have it for the disadvantaged payment. It should be the other way around in my opinion.”

David O’Heney, Lattin, Tipperary

David O’Heney.

“Something has to be done [about armchair farmers]. There’s a lot of land locked up with people just sitting down, getting the single farm payments - it’s very difficult to get into that.”

When asked if he agrees with the argument that someone should earn a certain percentage of their income from farming to qualify for payments, he said: "If someone is making extra income not from farming, more power to them. The farm just mightn’t be their main source of income.”

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Young farmers have their say on defining the active farmer

We asked farmers at the Irish Farmers Journal mart demo in Roscrea recently for their definition of an active farmer.