Farmers could opt out of supports if cost of compliance outweighs financial incentive
The report concludes that four standards can have a strong influence on willingness to participate including protection of wetlands and peatlands; creation of buffer strips along watercourses; crop rotation; and allocation of farmland for non-productive purposes. File Picture.
The danger of farmers opting out of the system of EU income support payments, if too many conditions are attached, has been raised.
Under the European Commission’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), farmers can receive basic payments for each hectare of their land, if they fulfil certain requirements.
