Breakthrough for "old-young" farmers

National Reserve applications will open in early April for the “old-young” farmers who established their holdings in 2008 and 2009, and who have missed out on both the Young Farmer Installation Scheme, and the new National Reserve priority category for farmers aged under 40, who commenced since 2010.

The European Commission has responded positively to the Irish government’s case that “old-young” farmers be categorised as a ‘specific disadvantage’ group, qualifying for access to the National Reserve.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has confirmed they can apply under the second phase of the National Reserve to be given new entitlements, or a top-up on the value of existing entitlements.

He said, “This is a very welcome outcome that I feel will address an anomaly in the system and allow for fair and equal treatment for this particular category of young active farmers.”

He said “old-young” farmers number in the hundreds, not in the thousands.

“In order to give someone preferential treatment under the national reserve, they must be in a category referred to as disadvantaged.

"There must be a reason to pay them extra, and so we have been trying to convince the Commission, successfully, that this group of people who missed out on installation aid and are now missing out on being in the category of young farmer, are disadvantaged because they missed out on both supports. As a result, we can help them with the national reserve.”

“If a farmer is in that category, and his or her payment is below the national average, he or she can apply under phase two of the national reserve allocations, and we should be able to increase the entitlements to the national average, which will make a big difference for many young farmers.”

“It is possible that the national reserve could run out of money, but we have made our calculations on the basis that it will not,” said Mr Coveney.

“Once the priority categories are funded through the national reserve, we will examine the old-young farmer category as the next priority.”

Successful priority phase 1 national reserve applicants will have entitlements “topped up” to the national average, or will get entitlements on naked land (land without entitlements). In addition, there is a young farmer’s single farm payment top-up of 25% of the national average.

“If we do run out of money, we will have to consider how we might change the allocation process to use the money we have available to best effect, whether by reducing the area involved or changing the qualifying criteria.

“We will negotiate with the farming organisations and other stakeholders should that happen. I hope, however, that we will have enough money in the national reserve to deal with it.”

However, “old-young” farmers will get the 40% Targeted Agricultural Modernisation scheme (TAMS) grant, rather than the 60% grant for the farmers under 40 who commenced since 2010.

Instead, “old-young” TAMS applications for 40% grant-aid will be prioritised.