Tillage farmers have been thrown under the bus by the CAP deal that was ratified by European agricultural ministers on Monday, according to the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGG).

The CAP deal agreed by negotiators last week will see continued payment convergence and a raft of new environmental conditions for farmers.

“Not only has there been no acknowledgement of the positive work done under greening for the last eight years, it has penalised tillage farmers further, with the old greening measures coming under Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) and further eco scheme measures added on,” IGG’s Clive Carter said.

Convergence

Carter also said that the 85% convergence rate would hit tillage farmers the hardest.

“The sector plays a massive role in helping Ireland’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets, but the growers doing the work rely on CAP payments to do so,” he said.

“I have had a number of farmers on the phone over the weekend stating that with convergence and a secondary convergence through an eco scheme, it’s not worthwhile taking up the eco scheme and better to maximise output instead.”

Carter said the deal had failed to recognise the vital role the tillage sector played in meeting the objectives of the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy and the Government’s Climate Action Bill.

“Tillage area in Ireland is a small percentage compared to our continental counterparts and this must be factored in to what is controllable domestically, particularly under eco schemes and Pillar 2 funding."