ICMSA: Only large-scale stud farms to get funds under CAP reform plan

ONLY large-scale stud farmers will receive income support under the proposed payments system outlined in a leaked EU post-2013 CAP reform draft document, according to ICMSA general secretary Ciaran Dolan.

Most Irish farmers are loss-making, if you exclude their single farm payment. Thus the CAP post-2013 proposal to only support those for whom farming activities exceed 5% of total income will leave most Irish farmers without any subsidy from 2014 on.

Mr Dolan and his ICMSA colleagues want Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to challenge the definition of “active farmers” contained in the leaked reform document.