The Chairman of the Clare Beef Plan says farmers’ work will be ‘sold and traded away’ under current CAP proposals.
It comes as the Minister for Agriculture is to visit Ennis this afternoon as part of a nationwide tour on the scheme’s reformation.
A deal to overhaul the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy was thrashed out in June after years of delays as a result of disagreements on issues such as climate change.
The deal is worth €10.7 billion to Ireland and runs over seven years to 2027.
Farmers will have to meet minimum environmental standards to receive payments, with 25 percent of direct payments being diverted to eco schemes under the agreement.
The draft plan makes a distribution of 10 percent of payments to smaller farmers mandatory, though many in the industry fear farmers are being asked to do more work for less money.
Quilty man Joseph Woulfe, Chair of this County’s Beef Plan, says it could lead to younger people leaving the sector for good.
The President of the Irish Farmers Association is in this county this evening to meet North Clare members.
The IFA doesn’t believe the Department of Agriculture’s efforts to get a better deal for farmers at a European level has been sufficient.
Tim Cullinan wants Minister Charlie McConalogue to come to the negotiating table with what he believes is a better plan.
Minister McConalogue himself will consult with farmers at Ennis Mart this afternoon as part of a nationwide tour on the current draft proposals.
He insists that the EU agreement up to 2027 will leave the majority of farmers in a better place than they are now.
