Minister Failing Farmers with Inaction on Eligible Land Issue

IFA President Eddie Downey said the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney must address the issue of eligible land and assist farmers by providing practical guidance before they submit their applications for 2015 BPS and other schemes.

“There is a lot of confusion around the eligible land issue. There is a responsibility on the Department to give practical guidance to farmers that avoids an overzealous interpretation, which would unfairly penalise farmers. The Department booklet on the issue should be made available to all farmers without delay”.

The IFA Rural Development Chairman Flor McCarthy said that some farmers are being left in a precarious situation due to uncertainty over the eligibility status of some of their land. He said it is very important that farmers are allowed to maximise their payments under the new Basic Payment Scheme, Greening, ANC’s and GLAS in this critical first year of the implementation of the new CAP.

Flor McCarthy said farmers who have concerns in relation to eligibility on any of their land area need to take advice from their planner/advisor to ensure that all of the land claimed on this year is eligible.