“I know your concerns, I fully understand the situation of the farmer”, European Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski told the IFA’s council.

“I’m not a farmer now, but I was raised in a farming family in Poland. I worked in the farm. My intention is to do everything that is possible to improve the situation of European farmers.”

Highlighting that he was already halfway through his five-year term, Wojciechowski said that proposals for the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028 to 2034 would be made during his term, and that his intention was to push for a budget increase for CAP.

The Commissioner constantly referred to the differences in farming systems between member states. When talking of organic targets, he said Ireland’s target of 7.5% was much lower than the EU average, but said “this is an ambitious target, we don’t expect more”.

He had a similar refrain when it came to the pesticides directive saying the commission would “take into account the different starting points of member states”.

Commissioner Wojciechowski also highlighted the animal welfare credentials of Irish farmers and how this is of benefit in international export markets.

Again, highlighting differences between member states, he said that animal welfare in Ireland is “too good” and that finding areas to suggest improvement is a challenge.

Loss of farmer numbers

Reflecting on the challenges European farmers face, he warned that the EU lost as many as 4m farms between 2004 and 2015 and said this equated to an approximate loss of 1,000 farms per day, through the period.

He used his native Poland as an example of such farm decline and outlined how in 2010, there were 914,000 livestock farmers but, in 2020, there only 574,000, little more than half, remained.

Emissions

When asked about the impact the EU’s proposed industrial emissions regulations will have on Irish farmers, the Commissioner said that the current measure of 150 livestock units was a “compromised solution”.

He said that the first proposal was for 100 livestock units, claimed that he had been instrumental in increasing this limit to the current proposed 150 livestock units. He said that as it stands, “Ireland will not be affected as much as other member states”.

He said the 150 livestock unit cut-off will equate to 6% to 7% of Irish farms, whereas in other member states this will be as high as 50%.

Crop rotation measures to be delayed

There was one clear policy announcement from the Commissioner, that rules around crop rotation will be suspended in next year’s CAP, the first year of operation of his reforms.

“My intention is to suspend the crop rotation,” he said. “I’m ready to consider the temporary suspension of this proposal.”

He had earlier spoken of his concern around how Ukraine will export its grain harvest, with the destruction of ports in the Black Sea.

“We are looking for alternative corridors for export of grains from Ukraine through Poland and Romania (both EU countries that border Ukraine).

He said that the ban on Russian wheat exports was not a problem for food security in the European Union, “but at a global level”.