The Irish Farmers’ Association has criticised the allocation of funds under the new Common Agricultural Policy, which was agreed at overnight talks in Brussels.

The Irish Farmers’ Association has criticised the allocation of funds under the new Common Agricultural Policy, which was agreed at overnight talks in Brussels.
The new CAP budget is €356.3 billion, a €35.2bn reduction on what was original proposed.
IFA President Tim Cullinan said the deal agreed does not match with the EU’s Green Deal aspirations, which seek to develop more environmentally friendly and sustainable farming practices.
“On the one hand the Commission wants farmers to take costly actions to implement the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies, but on the other hand they don’t want to provide the necessary funding,” Mr Cullinan said.
The Tipperary-based farmer said the Irish Government will have to make up any shortfall or reduction in payments, which could result from the reduction in funding for the CAP.
“The Government will need to come forward with significant co-financing to protect payments. What farmers will want to know is how these figures, together with national co-financing from the Government, will translate into payments at farm level,” he said. 
The reduction in funding for rural development measures, or Pillar II, from €15bn to €7.5bn is a particular point of concern in Ireland.
However, Ireland will have access to a so-called Brexit contingency fund which is worth €5bn. 
Every four in ten Euro spent under the new CAP will involve climate measures, to reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment. 
The Basic Payment Scheme, under which farmers receive payments is to be replaced by a new payment called, Basic Income Support for Sustainability and will be capped at €100,000 per farmer.
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