Young farmer groups call for payment scheme for new entrants

A MANDATORY payment scheme for new entrant farmers is an essential mechanism to address the ageing profile of Irish and EU agriculture, according to Europe’s young farmer groups.

Macra na Feirme’s agricultural affairs committee chairman, Kieran McEvoy, and European young farmers group CEJA president, Joris Baecke, are leading a drive to take the elective choice away from EU member states as regards payments to young farmers. The commission’s working group gave their proposal a positive hearing.

Mr McEvoy said: “Macra sees the value of a mandatory package, especially in an Irish context where the Government withdrew funding for young farmers on a whim, leaving Ireland one of the few EU countries without an installation aid scheme.”

Mr McEvoy also met Yves Madre of EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos’s cabinet, to discuss the possibility of a higher rate of EU co-funding for installation aid. When asked about targeting top-up single farm payments for young farmers from Pillar 1, Mr Madre said the commission would explore the possibility of reform in this area.

CEJA president Joris Baecke addressed the parliament working group and outlined the need for mandatory measures for the installation of young farmers (installation aid, early retirement scheme, and preferential loans).