Farmers in a nitrates derogation should not qualify for payments under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Irish Natura and Hill Farmer Association (INHFA) has said.
Launching its 10-point plan for the suckler sector on Thursday in Buswells Hotel, Dublin, the group said farmers in a derogation should be given the choice to either cut back or forgo their CAP payments.
“Where farmers choose the latter, then their payments should go into a central fund for distribution. The size of this fund would depend on the number of farmers that choose to forgo the CAP payment and the size of their payment.
“But if we saw all farmers forgo the payment and assume an average payment of €255/ha then there would be a fund of €113m,” the plan reads. This number is based on the 445,200ha of land for which a nitrates derogation was availed of in 2018, according to the INHFA.
INHFA president Colm O’Donnell said that if those farmers cut back on their nitrates usage, then it is acceptable.
“But our position is that they’re not entitled to a payment for sustainability because these are viable farms that can support a labour unit and why should they be getting a payment for sustainability,” he said.