Decoupling 'would raise farm incomes'

A new study has found that the complete removal of the link between farm production and EU payments would be the best thing for Irish farm incomes.

The analysis has been carried out for Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, by FAPRI – Ireland (Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute).

It shows that full decoupling combined with some changes in agriculture trade policies under the World Trade Organisation talks would deliver a 10% increase in aggregate farm income in 2012.