Macra delegation at CEJA talks in Cologne
The group, in attendance with the support of IFAC Accountants, included Macra national president Seán Finan, tillage farmer Martin O’Regan, education officer Philip Brady, and Macra agricultural affairs manager Derrie Dillon.
The group discussed the current greening measures and their implications for young farmers in each member state.
Greening was brought in under the 2013 CAP reform in a bid to make the direct payments system more environment-friendly.
Farmers who use farmland more sustainably and care for natural resources as part of their everyday work benefit financially.
The EU Commission has requested submissions on greening and CEJA and Macra will make a submission based on the experience and recommendations of young farmers on items such as the three crop rule, ecological focus areas, and buffer strips.
The working group ran alongside a conference on crop protection hosted by BDL, the German young farmer group.
The group also visited the Bayer Crop Science headquarters in Monheim, where future implications for plant protection authorisation procedures, plant protection resistance, and research and development were discussed with European young farmers and industry experts.
A tour of the research and development facility, as well as panel discussions, and plant protection lecturers, provided an insight into developments in crop science across Europe and the implications for young tillage farmers.
The final day of the Cologne trip involved farm visits as well as discussions with German tillage and vegetable farmers.
