FarmerscallforEUtop- up
FARMERS trying to eke out a living in the wilderness of Sligo’s mountain ranges are worried.
They fear Government promises of a ¤ 25million top- up to their EU/ Irish grants will not come to pass.
“It’s so important that it’s paid out and we get what we’re entitled to,” said IFA County Rural Development Chairman Eddie Davitt.
The Cloonacool farmer worries for the top up after Agriculture Minister Michael Creed supported Austria’s call to have a review of the eligibility criteria for ANC payments postponed for at least 12 months.
The farmers were hoping for their EU grants to be increased after the review.
“The IFA didn’t look for it to be postponed. We were looking forward to this review being done and dusted and a decision taken to increase our payments,” he told The Sligo Champion.
“We were promised that the payments were not reflecting the severity of the disadvantage that we were at. It would have to be brought up in line to support disadvantaged farmers,” he said.
He now fears that the Government promise of a € 25m top- up in 2018 to reverse cuts imposed since 2009 will also be postponed in line with the delayed review.
“This is a vital payment. It’s very important that they continue to support the farmers in the West of Ireland,” he said.
Farmers living on mountainous land qualify for an ‘ Areas of Natural Constraint’ ( ANC) payment of ¤ 109.71/ ha for the first ten hectares farmed with sheep, cattle or goats.
The payment drops to ¤ 96/ ha for their remaining land, up to a maximum of 34 hectares.
The eligibility criteria that is to be reviewed is due to switch from socio- economic criteria ( i. e. low incomes) to bio- physical criteria such as low temperature, dryness, excess soil moisture, and steep slopes.
New maps and data are being put to- gether by the Department of Agriculture to submit eligible farmlands to Brussels by June.
However the IFA have not been shown these new maps, something Eddie believes should happen.
“It’d be easier to check the maps before they go out to Brussels and try to change them then. There are areas going to lose out. But we would be expecting that no area in the West of Ireland will lose out. We all fit the criteria.
“We in the North West have nine months of winter, compared to farms in Carlow, Kilkenny and the South which have only three months of winter,” he said.
“I’m still feeding my cows. My cows are in since last September. There are cows in Carlow out since February,” he claimed.
“Every pound spent locally is keeping local businesses such as Aurivo in work,” he added.