IFA Restate the Need for Single Farm Payment to Be Targeted at Active Farmers

IFA President John Bryan said the latest data on the Single Farm Payment from the Department of Agriculture published in this week’s Farmers’ Journal will anger thousands of farmers facing severe cuts to their Single Farm Payment under the flawed Ciolos CAP Reform.

John Bryan reiterated the IFA demand that objective criteria must be taken into account in the redistribution of the Single Farm Payment. He said SFP cuts must be minimised and funds available for redistribution must be targeted at productive farmers with low payments.

John Bryan said, “Throughout the CAP campaign, IFA made it clear at all times that SFP funds for redistribution must go to active, productive farmers, and should not be redistributed solely and indiscriminately based on land area. The latest Department figures, which should have been made available months ago, show the flaw in Commissioner Ciolos flat-rate and minimum payment system regardless of production”.

Mr Bryan said IFA has consistently said objective criteria such as stocking rate, labour units or other production criteria should be utilised to target payments to active producers.

He said the IFA policy stood up to scrutiny throughout the CAP debate and was strongly supported by farmers all over the country. “Minister Coveney must take on board this principle in deciding the implementation criteria for the Single Farm Payment from 2015.”