Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022
1908. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the minimum number of hectares and the stocking density or the number of stock or other agricultural activity that will be required under the CAP 2023-2027 to be eligible for grants under the CAP as an active farmer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20531/22]
View answerThe Active Farmer check within the new CAP is designed to ensure that a minimum level of agricultural activity exists at farm level and is required as per Article 4 (5) of the CSP Regulation.
Activity will be assessed on a holding basis and will require farmers to demonstrate the means by which the agricultural activity is carried out on their farm. For a farmer to be deemed active, they must demonstrate how they bear the economic and agricultural risk with regard to the agricultural activity being undertaken. There is no minimum number of hectares for an applicant to be deemed active.
Within the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP), it has been proposed that the Active Farmer check in Ireland will be based, in the first instance on a stocking rate check for grassland farmers. The stocking rate will be aligned to the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme and for 2023, this is proposed to be 0.10 Livestock Units per hectare (LU/Ha). To facilitate prompt payment, the check will based on stock held in 2022, with an option for 2023 to be used for new entrants or for those who could not meet the threshold in 2022.
However, where livestock farmers cannot meet the minimum of 0.10 LU/Ha due to environmental limitations, a lower stocking rate will be acceptable. For those grassland farmers who maintain the land by non-grazing means such as topping or cutting hay or silage, they will have to indicate how the land is maintained and evidence may be requested to support this.
For farmers involved in tillage and / or permanent crops, my Department will administratively check a sample of herds. This will involve applicants being requested to provide evidence of activity on their part. For tillage farmers this would likely be receipts for seed, fertiliser, pesticides etc. in the applicant’s name. A valid share farming agreement is a legitimate means of demonstrating an activity on the part of the applicant.
The intention of the "active farmer" check is to ensure that payments are directed to those actively engaged in farming and taking the risk with regard to the farm business. These proposed checks under the CSP will ensure this, while also not imposing undue administrative overheads on farm businesses. My Department expects the vast majority of farmers will easily satisfy this check and will be assessed automatically by the online application system in 2023.
However, it is important to reiterate that where a farmer does not satisfy the active farmer check, they will not be in a position to draw down any Direct Payments. In that context, In the coming months, my Department will write to those farmers that would not be categorised as active based on the information currently held by my Department. This will allow those farmers sufficient time to make the necessary changes in advance of 2023 if they so wish.
