Destocked sheep farmers cannot be paid on the double

SHEEP farmers in six western counties who were compulsorily destocked in 1998 cannot be paid twice for destocking, according to the European Commission.

A Department of Agriculture spokesman explained, “If a farmer wants the frozen quota restored for calculating a single payment, and if he or she is also in REPS, then we will have to reduce his or her REPS payment. If he or she wants to stay in REPS and get the full measure A payment, his or her single payment entitlement will have to be reduced”.

Measure A payments made to commonage farmers in REPS includes an element of €90 per hectare which is based on an average destocking of two ewes.