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At its latest CAP regional consultation in Ballinasloe on Wednesday evening, a quick poll was taken on the big issues of the moment in addition to developing a contribution to the overall CAP consultation. Over 100 members took part in the event, which reviewed the current cap and put together thoughts on what the next scheme should look like.
The meeting also ran an online poll on what those present thought of making payments on the basis of production or land based. A massive majority of almost 80% opted for the payments to be production related.
A similar number opted for stopping direct payments to farmers who had reached pension age. This model operates in Norway, Switzerland and in many regions of Germany but would, no doubt, be extremely controversial in Ireland given the aging profile of farmers. However, with EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan suggesting recently the possibility of linking EU support to farm safety, it shouldn’t be dismissed.
On the question of whether or not there should be an upper limit to the amount of CAP payment received by farmers, only one member opted for a level above €150,000. This prompted a comment that obviously there was one member in the room receiving this level of payment. Most opted for a €75,000 or a €100,000 limit.
Summing up the meeting, Macra president Sean Finan said to the Irish Farmers Journal that Macra is the first organisation to embark on a CAP consultation
“We are over half way through our consultation now. We have heard some wonderful ideas so far. If you would like to have your say, come along to our final two consultations in Sligo on Wednesday night 1 February and Kilkenny on Thursday night 2 February.”
SHARING OPTIONS: