Coveney told immediate priority is reintroduction of AEOS 3 scheme

FARMERS exiting the REPS 3 scheme urgently need the reintroduction of the AEOS 3 scheme, according to the IFA.

The IFA’s recently elected rural development chairman Flor McCarthy said the immediate priority for Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney must be to introduce an AEOS 3 scheme over the coming month to support farmers who have finished REPS 3.

Mr McCarthy said: “It is vital that an AEOS 3 scheme, involving the restoration of the maximum payment of €5,000, increasing the Natura payment to €150/ha and allowing up to 10,000 farmers to join the scheme is made available.”

The IFA spokesman criticised the decision of Mr Coveney to reduce REPS 4 payment by 10%. He called upon the minister to stick to his promise to reduce compliance costs to make up the loss to farmers.

Mr McCarthy added: “Changes to stocking rate criteria must not discriminate against genuine farmers whose land is not capable of carrying greater than the 0.15LU/ha and who will have difficulty reaching the new 0.3 LU/ha limit for 2012.”

He also called for concessions for farmers who have part of their farm in disadvantaged areas and who stand to lose under the new criteria.

On the CAP, he said it was vital that Ireland secures adequate EU funding for rural development measures post-2013. In the current seven-year programme, the EU allocation to Ireland is €346m, which was matched by a similar amount of state co-financing.