Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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32. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions that he is taking to support small farmers who are being squeezed out by large agri-business. [38532/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I am very supportive of small farmers, who contribute in a very meaningful way to the economic, environmental and social sustainability of rural communities and the rural economy. Having grown up on a small, family farm I personally know the importance they have.

The draft CAP Strategic Plan which has been submitted by my Department to the European Commission for approval includes total funding of €9.8 billion.

Many of the measures are targeted to support smaller farmers, including the Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS). This is a mandatory intervention in the next CAP period for all Member States, and I have instructed my Department to implement it at the recommended 10% of the Direct Payments overall financial allocation for the period.

This €118million per year will be paid out on the first 30 eligible hectares of every Active Farmer’s land, at a rate of about €43 per hectare. The impact of this has been modelled by my Department in August 2021, and the results indicate that approximately 70% of farmers will see a net benefit as a result of this redistribution. This effect will be more pronounced the smaller the farm.

In terms of a strategic approach to the future development of the sector, the Food Vision 2030 strategy, launched by the Taoiseach and myself last year, sets a vision that Ireland will become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems over the next decade.

Food Vision acknowledges the central importance of primary producers – our farmers and fishers – to the sustainable development of the sector and includes a specific Mission “viable and resilient primary producers, with enhanced well-being” .

Food Vision recognises that economically and socially sustainable farmers are an integral part of our rural and coastal communities.

It also envisages there being a place in Ireland’s agri-food sector for all types of primary producer whether full time or part time, big or small.

The strategy includes specific actions aimed at improving the competitiveness and productivity of primary producers; increasing the creation of value and distributing it fairly; introducing greater diversification in production systems and incomes; and improving the social sustainability of primary producers.

In relation to improving fairness along the food supply chain, the Department’s Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Enforcement Authority is utilising the powers approved last year under the UTP Regulations and has my full support in its efforts to remove the unfairness from trading practices in the food supply chain.

The draft Bill which I have proposed to establish an Office for Fairness and Transparency in the agri-food supply chain is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny. I look forward to receiving the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee as soon as possible so that this important legislation can be progressed.