Written answers

Thursday, 13 April 2017

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Suckler Welfare Scheme Payments

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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301. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a €200 annual payment for suckler cows to ensure the sustainability of the national herd via a combination of a coupled payment in the context of the next CAP in addition to payments for farmers for actions under a suckler cow welfare scheme and or a beef genomics scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19053/17]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has supported the greater market orientation of the CAP over recent reforms, including by decoupling of payments from production, because farmers’ freedom to respond to the demands of the market is vital for the long-term development of the sector (as set out in Food Wise 2025).  

This approach to the reform of the CAP was one which is recognised as being the most suitable approach to take, on the basis that the best interests of farmers were served by allowing them  the flexibility to calibrate production to market demand without compromising income from the Basic Payment Scheme.

The provision of coupled support for suckler farmers under Pillar I would require a redistribution of direct payments between farmers and this would involve a linear cut across payment to all BPS beneficiaries. It would also require beneficiaries to maintain animals in order to obtain the premium, even in circumstances where supply and demand factors were exerting downward pressure on prices. There is also some evidence to suggest that the necessity to keep animals to obtain a premium had a negative impact on quality, with the focus turning to "farming the premium".

These are issues that were well rehearsed in the run up to the last and previous CAP reforms, and while there are counter arguments, on balance the judgement was that payments should be decoupled from production.

The BDGP builds upon the large investment in data recording and genomics which has been made in recent years and will continue to drive further developments and improvements in this area.

In relation to funding under Pillar II of the CAP, the BDGP, as already outlined, is the current main support for the suckler sector and provides farmers with some €300 million of funding over the next six years.  I will continue to support this programme through the lifetime of the current RDP. Of course, this is in addition to the other supports for suckler farmers under the RDP, notably GLAS, ANCs and Knowledge Transfer groups.

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