A ‘half loaf’ for West’s hill men in revised RDP

It could be a case of ‘half a loaf being better than no bread’ for Connemara’s hill/commonage farmers, following the submission last week of the Government’s Rural Development Programme (RDP) to the European Commission.

Over recent weeks the IFA had campaigned strongly for Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to take out the 80% participation clause for commonage farmers wishing to join the GLAS environmental scheme.

However last week, Minister Coveney confirmed that he had decided to reduce the percentage figure from 80% to 50% – that 50% figure can either apply to the number of active farmers involved or the total land commonage area.

Farm leaders had also sought an increase in the commonage rate per hectare from €75 to €50 – again Minister Coveney came ‘part of the way’ bringing the figure up to €120 per hectare.

Connemara IFA Regional Chairman, Brendan Joyce, told the Farming Tribune that they were disappointed that Minister Coveney had still insisted on the 50% participation figure for the commonages farmers.

“It is just a question of fairness – one half of farmers on a commonage should not be penalised because of a partcipation clause like this,” said Brendan Joyce.

He said that the reduction in the participation clause was a step in the right direction but he said that this regulation wasn’t necessary in the first place.

“Another fear we have is that commonage farmers just won’t have sufficient time to get their plans in place before the normal May deadline, given that planners will first of all concentrate on the more straightforward individual applications.

“With that problem in mind, we will be suggesting that the Minister allows a six weeks window – after the first deadline – for commonage applicants who couldn’t get their plans prepared,” said Brendan Joyce.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.