The cabinet has given the green light to Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan, which will run from 2023 until 2027.

It means that a range of new farm schemes, such as ACRES, the new Suckler Cow Efficiency Programme (SCEP) and the Organic Farming Scheme, are approved to run from January for farmers.

Speaking following the cabinet meeting, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said the plan is “farmer-friendly, fair and well-funded".

“There has also been constructive engagement from all ministers throughout the process, which delivered not just increased funding for the sector, but also featured closer collaboration than ever before from all of the relevant departments in the design of the plan.

“This collaboration will continue throughout the implementation process as we seek to achieve in particular the maximum environmental ambition through close monitoring and evaluation of progress,” he said.

Different

Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity Senator Pippa Hackett said the new CAP is very different from previous plans.

“It contains a host of measures that I know will deliver for farmers, their families and their incomes, while also protecting our soil, water, habitats and climate.

“In particular, I am pleased with the five-fold increase in funding to support organic farming, which will help us achieve our target of 330,000ha of organically farmed land by the end of the upcoming CAP period.

“It will also support women who are heads of farm households. I am very happy to see that women farmers will qualify for higher TAMS grants and also that there will be separate knowledge transfer groups for women,” she said, adding that the CAP will deliver for both farming and the environment.

Farm safety

Minister of State with responsibility for Farm Safety, Martin Heydon, said the plan marks a “step change” in how farmer’s health, safety, and wellbeing is integrated into farm supports.

“Across a range of schemes, we have built in health and safety training, while also prioritising it in the on-farm capital investment scheme. This will ensure we reach a wider audience of farmers than we have in previous CAPs - a positive from a farm safety and farm efficiency perspective. I believe this plan will help to drive down the unacceptable high number of fatal incidents on farms in the years ahead.”