One of my goals as Minister for Agriculture is to promote generation renewal in farming. Achievement of our Food Harvest 2020 strategy is predicated on smart, green growth in the sector with an emphasis on investment and innovation. In this connection, I have concerns about the current age profile of our farming population and I firmly believe we must actively encourage the younger generation to view farming as an attractive and sustainable career.
It is for this reason that I have promoted the introduction of a number of tax reliefs aimed at bringing young people into the sector.
The proposals for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy contain a number of measures designed to attract young farmers to the sector. These include a proposal for a 25% top-up payment, over and above the normal single farm payment, to farmers under 40, for a five year period. I, along with a number of other Member States and the Commission, would prefer if this proposal was mandatory for Member States. However, given that a large number of Member States would have difficulty with a mandatory scheme, I am prepared to live with an optional scheme although I can confirm that I have every intention of applying it in Ireland.
There are also proposals for enhanced investment opportunities for young farmers within the draft Rural Development Regulation.
Of course, these measures form part of the CAP reform negotiations which are not yet finalised. My aim is to finalise the Council position on the CAP reform dossier and obtain a negotiating mandate by the end of March, leading to inter-institutional trilogues, with the aim of overall political agreement by the end of June.
I am confident of navigating through the diverging positions of Member States with a view to ensuring that the new CAP contains measures that will continue to attract young farmers into the sector.
