The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed that the third amendment to Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan is currently underway.
The proposals are being examined by the government appointed CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 Monitoring Committee.
This marks the third time that Ireland has adjusted its strategic plan since it was launched in 2023.
CAP Strategic Plan
The department noted that many of the changes are minor and technical in nature, but there are two related for schemes for farmers in 2024.
In relation to the Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme (DBWS), the proposed maximum number of eligible animals will be 50, while the maximum possible payment for farmers will be €1,000 per year.
The DBWS is a breeding measure which supports farmers using genotyped and genetically superior beef sires for breeding dairy beef calves.
For Protein Aid, the ceiling will be increased from €7 million to €10 million to reflect the level of interest in the scheme from farmers in recent years.
The scheme targets an increased area of protein crops grown each year, reducing Ireland’s reliance on imported produce and improving our carbon footprint.
Committee
The amendment has been referred to the CAP Strategic Plan Monitoring Committee for consideration before being submitted to the European Commission for its approval in June.
The committee is made up of stakeholders from across the agricultural and public sector, covering climate, environmental, economic, and social concerns.
It includes representatives from farm bodies and organisations, environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs), DAFM and other government departments, agencies, local government and education and research bodies.
The role of the committee, which meets at least once a year, is to monitor the implementation of the CAP Strategic Plan, and give feedback on the annual performance reports, evaluation plan, and any amendments to the plan.