Active farmers will not lose out on pay

AGRICULTURE Minister Simon Coveney has revealed that issues arise each year in relation to the minimum stocking density required of disadvantaged areas scheme applicants, usually affecting about 10,000 farmers — even before the doubling of the stocking rate requirement, announced last week.

Mr Coveney said no active farmer in disadvantaged areas will lose payments, despite the expectation of annual savings of €30 million due to targeted reform of the disadvantaged scheme.

“We have changed the qualification criteria for the payment, and increased the stocking rate requirement, but the new stocking rate is still only two sheep per hectare. That is less than one sheep per acre. If one does not have a higher stocking rate than that it is difficult to make the case that one is farming in a significant way.”