Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2022
757. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the stocking rates a horse needs to qualify in calculating one's stocking rate for ANC or single farm payment if they need a valid passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24109/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in the terms and conditions of the 2022 Areas of Natural Constraints scheme, applicants are required to satisfy minimum stocking requirements of 0.15 livestock units per eligible forage hectare for seven consecutive months within the 2022 calendar year and, also maintain an annual average stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per eligible forage hectare for the 2022 calendar year.
While horses are not automatically eligible for the stocking density calculation, equine breeding enterprises are eligible if the applicant is an equine breeder and have bred a foal, in either 2020 or 2021, from a mare registered as on the applicant’s holding in 2021, which was registered in a Stud Book approved by my Department, with pedigree recorded (sire and dam). In addition, the premises must be registered with my Department.
For equine breeding enterprises, the following equines are eligible for inclusion in the stocking density calculation:
- All equines aged one year to five years, (aged using 1st January), registered in a Stud Book approved by the Department, with pedigree recorded (sire and dam) and registered in the name of the applicant and maintained on his/her holding;
- Breeding mares, registered as having been on the applicant’s holding in 2021, which have bred a foal in either 2020 or 2021. Both the mare and the foal MUST be registered in a Stud Book approved by the Department.
All equines are required to have a valid passport in the applicant’s name. Where an equine is purchased it must have a valid passport at the time of purchase and same must be updated to the applicants name thereafter in accordance with the governing regulation. Equines will only be counted from the date of registration or transfer of ownership.
With effect from the 2022 ANC scheme year, applicants seeking to fulfil their stocking density requirements using horses must submit certified copies of the equine passports to the ANC section of my Department.
Where the above requirements are satisfied, each female or male horse has a value of 1.0 livestock unit for the 2022 scheme year. In 2022, the minimum stocking requirement applies to the ANC scheme only. There is no minimum stocking requirement for the 2022 Basic Payment Scheme.
Under Ireland's draft CAP Strategic Plan (CSP), from 2023 it is proposed to implement a minimum stocking requirement as an eligibility requirement for the ANC scheme, as part of the active farmer check, in one of the agricultural practices in the eco-scheme and in the new Organic Farming Scheme.
It is proposed that the minimum stocking requirement check in the CSP will be largely based on the current ANC livestock requirements.
From 2023, it is proposed that the livestock unit coefficients to be used for the minimum stocking requirements will be amended to match the current Eurostat livestock coefficients. Based on these new Eurostat coefficients, it is proposed the minimum stocking requirement would be set at 0.10 Livestock Units per hectare, reduced from the current minimum requirement of 0.15 livestock units per hectare.
As part of this proposed change, the livestock unit value applicable to both horses and donkeys will change from the current livestock unit value of 1.0 livestock unit per hectare to 0.8 livestock unit per hectare.
This proposed change along with all the other elements of Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan is subject to approval by the EU Commission. The negotiations between my Department and the Commission are on-going.
