Farming special - Day 3:
In the Irish Examiner ICMSA farming survey, they were asked, “To what extent do you agree or disagree that a cap of €50,000 per farm should be applied to the Single Farm Payment?”
A total of 46% “strongly agreed”, while 16% “agreed”; 10% neither agreed or disagreed, with 20% saying they slightly disagreed, and 9% strongly disagreed.
The lowest agreement was among tillage farmers (59%) and dairy farmers (57%). Agreement was 64% among livestock farmers, and 68% among “other” farmers.
In the 55-64 age bracket, 71% agreed; but opinion sharply diverged for other age groups — only 48% of 35-44 year olds agreed that a cap of €50,000 per farm should be applied to the Single Farm Payment. Locations with the highest percentages in favour were Dungarvan (73%), Tullamore (68%), and Athenry (65%); but agreement was only about 50% at Tinahely and Cappamore, and the Irish Holstein Friesian Association National Open Day in Co Leitrim.
The single farm payment was one of the three main income sources for 82% of the 582 farmers interviewed this year for the survey. It is the No 1 source for 10% (compared to 14% last year), and No 2 for 45% (56% last year).
Data from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine indicates that more than 123,000 farms receive about €1.2 billion in Single Farm Payments.
The survey findings reflect the latest National Farm Survey details published by Teagasc, which highlight the reliance of thousands of farmers on direct payments.
Teagasc stated that on average, total direct payments per farm were €19,474 in 2013 (this includes the Single Farm Payment, the Disadvantaged Area Scheme, the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme, the newer Agri-Environmental Scheme, and the Sheep Grassland payment).
Cattle rearing farms are the most reliant on the single farm payment.
In 2013, it was 104% of their income.
Tillage farms have the highest Single Farm Payment, receiving on average €26,426.
In 2013, the SFP comprised 80% of income on tillage farms, while direct payments in total accounted for 92% of average tillage farm income.
Direct payments comprise on average 77% of total farm income across all farms. Market income (income before the receipt of direct payments) averaged only €5,963.
Survey respondents were much more undecided on whether off-farm income limits should be applied to all farm schemes.
Not surprisingly, 55% of farmers who said they earn off-farm income said No; only 34% said Yes.
More than half of the over-55s also said No, in contrast to only 32% of those aged 35-44.
But there was no inclination one way or the other overall among the 582 survey interviewees, with 23% strongly agreeing that “Off farm income limits should be applied to all farm schemes”, 22% agreeing, 15% neither agreeing nor disagreeing, 24% slightly disagreeing, and 26% strongly disagreeing.
