IFA President Rejects Commission Proposals On Flat-Rate Payment And Greening

Speaking in Brussels following the publication of the CAP document in Brussels today (Wed), IFA President John Bryan strongly rejected the EU Commission proposals on flat-rate payments and greening, as they would seriously impact on primary producers who are the main drivers of the agriculture sector.

John Bryan said the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney must oppose the Commission proposals, as they will damage the viability of farm families and undermine the potential of the sector.   He said the Commission proposals should serve as a wake-up call for the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney and the Government. He said “Given the importance of our agri-food sector, the Government must place itself at the centre of the negotiations over the next 12 months to ensure an outcome that supports active farmers, preserves the family farm model and maximises agriculture’s productive capacity.”

Mr Bryan said, “Commissioner Ciolos is creating a serious conflict between our ambitions to increase production and what he wants in CAP post-2013. The flat-rate and ‘greening’ proposals will cause huge disruption at farm level and take Irish agriculture in the wrong direction. They have the potential to undermine farmers’ business decisions and investment plans, increase overhead costs and impose a whole new level of bureaucracy and red-tape.”

John Bryan said, “The Commission proposals would mean extra bureaucracy and a limit on production. This flies in the face of the Commission’s aims to ensure food security, sustainable production and maintaining farming and economic activity in marginal areas.  Irish agriculture is well positioned to meet these criteria and the Commissioner will have to revise these elements of his proposals.”