ICSA seeks higher ANC payment for poorer land following review of scheme

Following the publication of the new eligibility maps, ICSA rural development chairman Seamus Sherlock said that his association wanted to see higher payments for farmers who are most in need on poorer land.

There is an additional €23m available for the 2019 scheme, which is a restoration of austerity cuts.

“Some of this will be needed to cover the newly eligible ground. However, there will be approximately €10 or €11m left to give a slight increase to existing farmers,” he said.

ICSA wants to see this targeted at farmers who have the biggest challenges in terms of land quality.

The last change saw extra payments made to mountain areas and ICSA supported that continuing.

“We now also want to see farmers on difficult and heavy land getting more,” he said.

Mr Sherlock said that the problem was that the overall scheme needed a significant injection of funding to cover the fact that so many farmers were eligible and that there had been no attempt to ensure funding kept pace with inflation.

“This is a matter that will have to be addressed in the CAP reform,” he said.

ICSA welcomed an independent appeals process for farmers affected by the two per cent of existing areas that were potentially losing disadvantaged area status. “The ANC payment is very important to farmers and any farmer affected must have every opportunity to make their case. It is also essential that changes are only phased in over a number of years, where farmers are negatively impacted,” he said.

Meanwhile, IFA deputy president Richard Kennedy, who chaired a national meeting of county chairs, Rural Development and Hill Farming Committee members, said the clear message was that the appeals process must deal with all areas, including those that were never designated.

“It is clear that the process of ANC classification has thrown up some anomalies. The focus for the Minister should now be on the appointment of an independent chairman and getting the process moving as quickly as possible,” he said.

Earlier, an IFA delegation met Department of Agriculture officials on the outcome of the review and the increase in the 2019 scheme. The net effect of the review is that the amount of land designated as ANC will increase by around three per cent.

IFA has called for the Minister to set up the appeals process without delay to deal with areas that have been taken out, and areas which are still excluded.

Mr Kennedy said ANC was a vital support to farmers in difficult land areas. He urged farmers who have been excluded or were not included to appeal their townland.