More than 10,500 farmers who are claiming CAP payments are at risk of losing their money in the next CAP unless they can provide proof that they are actively farming.

These farmers do not currently keep livestock, according to the Department of Agriculture’s databases, and will have to prove that they are doing enough farming activity to claim their CAP payments from 2023 onwards.

The majority of these farmers currently hold BPS entitlements and received payments of €32m last year, averaging €3,700 each.

A total of 143,000ha was held by these farmers in 2020.

However, this group currently does not meet the proposed definition of an “active farmer” for the next CAP.

While the Department said that this cohort is “likely” to be selling hay or silage or may have other grazing livestock, such as horses, they will have to prove this by way of receipts for key inputs or sales invoices for the next CAP.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue told the Irish Farmers Journal that the coming CAP will be a “problem for those that have been doing nothing” as he clamps down on armchair farmers in favour of active farmers.