Farm lobby rejects ‘modulation’ hike

A PROPOSAL by the European Commission to take more money from direct farm payments and divert it to rural development through a process known as “modulation” was vigorously opposed by the Irish farm lobby last night.

Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association president Jackie Cahill said the idea is that the European Union will take €400 extra from farmers for every €10,000 single farm payment and transfer that sum to rural development.

“Rather than actually reducing single farm payments by these underhand methods of increased modulation, the EU should have been increasing them to take account of general inflation and specifically the inflation of farm inputs,” he said.