Majority of tillage farmers could lose under CAP, says economist

Carlow: Two-thirds of tillage farmers will be worse off as a result of CAP reform unless they change their system of farming, according to Teagasc analysis.

Economist Fiona Thorne told the Teagasc National Tillage Conference in Carlow yesterday with no change in production patterns average tillage farm incomes will drop 7% by 2012.

The analysis contrasts with the results of a recent Teagasc survey on tillage farmer reactions to the new policy. The majority of the farmers surveyed felt the complete decoupling of payments from production would not affect their production systems or profit levels.