Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

450. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding exemptions to planned penalties in respect of the new beef data genomics programme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20741/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) forms part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme and will provide suckler farmers in Ireland with funding of some €300 million over the next 6 years. The BDGP builds on the investment in data recording and genomics in recent years, and will ultimately bring about long-term improvements to the sector by fundamentally improving the genetic quality of the beef herd.

The BDGP is an area based payment whereby the number of calved cows on the holding in 2014 is divided by a standard stocking density of 1.5 calved cows/hectare in order to establish the number of eligible hectares for payment. In line with the requirements of the European Commission, the number of eligible hectares declared each year cannot reduce by more than 20% during the course of the programme. If a farmer knows in advance that some land rented to him will not be available from a point in time, then he/she should make every effort to ensure that he/she has sufficient land available. This is a mandatory scheme requirement although force majeureprovisions will be in place to deal with unexpected circumstances such as compulsory purchase orders.

The vast majority of farmers applying for the BDGP will have significantly more land than is required in order to receive full payment. Based on participants in the Beef Genomics Scheme, nearly half of farmers (46%) will have a stocking density of less than 0.5 calved cows/hectare whereas 90% of farmers have a stocking density below 1 calved cow/hectare. As an example, a farmer with 10 calved cows and a stocking density of 0.5 will have access to 20 hectares but will only require 6.66 hectares for the purposes of payment under the BDGP. Even if this farmer had a stocking density of 1 calved cow per hectare, he/she would have 50% more land than he/she requires. The vast majority of framers come under a stocking density of 1 calved cow per hectare and I believe the relatively high stocking density of 1.5 established under the BDGP should provide a sufficient buffer for situations arising on most farms.