Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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348. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if support needed for the establishment of producer groups for growers will be proposed under the rural development programme being developed by his Department. [10721/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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No final decisions have yet been made on the measures to be included in the new Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. The new (RDP) will be a key support in enhancing the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, achieving more sustainable management of natural resources and ensuring a more balanced development of rural areas. As you are aware I have recently published a consultation document on the new RDP, which sets out a range of proposed measures for inclusion.

The main areas proposed for support in the new RDP are:

- a substantial new agri-environment/climate scheme (GLAS), which will build on the progress made under REPS and AEOS. This will provide for a maximum payment of €5,000 for up to 50,000 farmers, and a further payment of up to €2,000 for a limited number of farmers who take on particularly challenging actions,

- continued strong support for disadvantaged areas (now Areas of Natural Constraint), to the tune of about €195 million per year,

- incentives for on-farm capital investment,

- knowledge transfer and innovation measures, aimed at underpinning farm viability, sustainability and growth through the adoption of best practice and innovative solutions,

- a new beef data and genomics measure worth up to €52 million per year aimed at improving the genetic quality of the beef herd, and

- other supports aimed at collaborative farming, artisan producers, organic farming etc.

In response to the open call for written submissions on the proposed measures, over 120 written submissions were received by the deadline of 19 February. Following examination of these submissions, an ex-ante evaluation incorporating a Strategic Environmental Analysis and an Appropriate Assessment will be carried out on the proposed RDP measures by independent, external evaluators. This process will involve a further stage of stakeholder consultation.

In keeping with the timelines agreed at EU level, it is intended to submit a draft of the new RDP to the European Commission in the second quarter of 2014. This draft will then form the basis for detailed discussions over a number of months with the European Commission.