Sheep farmers to gain €14,000 under scheme

Sheep farmers with an entitlement value close to the national average will benefit by about an additional €14,000 over the seven years of the basic payment scheme, said Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

He said this arises from his decision to incorporate the grassland sheep scheme payment into the calculation of the initial unit value of a farmer’s entitlements under the basic payment scheme in 2015, and from a total funding increase in the 2014 grassland scheme from €14 million to €15m.

He said there is no longer any legal basis for continuation of the grassland sheep scheme in its present form in the CAP reform regime, but member states which do not apply voluntary coupled support to the sector concerned have the option to take into account any payment farmers received in 2014 under an article 68 scheme such as the grassland sheep scheme.