Officers from The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) were stunned by proposals in the new Results-based Environmental-Agri pilot Project (REAP) to exclude commonages and land containing heather from the scheme.

Speaking after the Departments presentation to the farm organisations INHFA President Colm O’Donnell outlined his dismay on the exclusion of these lands, which are he stated “predominately peat based and prime habitats for a wide range of fauna such as the endangered red grouse which is an annex 1 red listed bird.

It is, he continued “shocking that an agri-environmental program supported by the Irish State and the European Union, ignores the most valuable lands in the country with a high percentage of these lands forming part of the Natura 2000 network.”

In making the call to exclude these lands,it does he added, “increase our suspicion that the habitats and biodiversity is of secondary importance to the carbon asset that many believe and hope these lands can deliver. Similar to what is happening in the CAP negotiations under GAEC 2 where prescribed actions could make peat soils ineligible, this pilot has also identified large areas of peat soils for exclusion.”

As this is a pilot it will be instrumental in forming the basis for the next agri-environmental scheme in the new CAP.
On this the INHFA President questioned “if commonage and hill land where heather dominates will even get access to any such scheme.” He also questioned “if Minister McConalogue is fully aware of the impact this will have especially in his own County.”
In relation to the proposed budget of €10m O’Donnell stated “how all farmers will be disappointed with the level of support which is well short of the €1.5bn in the States carbon fund that was initially suggested or the more modest €79m outlined in last Autumn’s budget.”

In concluding the INHFA leader took the opportunity to address suggestions made by some that the organisation is scare-mongering when it comes to proposals around peat soils. On this he quoted a well-worn phrase – “if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it is a duck” before adding that, when we look at these and other proposals on agriculture and across climate change policy it isn’t hard to join the dots and see the land and our farm families who farm those lands extensively are right now the firing line.”

As politicians, NGO’s and the wider media rush to embrace ambitious proposals to increase biodiversity and address climate change, there is, according to the Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association, a real danger that farmers will once again be the big losers.

In discussing this INHFA President Colm O’Donnell stressed the need to firstly engage with farmers and landowners before any changes are made, that will impact how they farm and will also undermine the value of their lands.

Since the late 1990’s farmers have, he stated “lost control of their lands as the EU and Irish State has effectively claimed squatters’ rights on their property through the implementation of the SAC and SPA designations.”

Through the 38 actions requiring consent (ARC’s) on these lands, farmers have he continued “being sidelined to the role of passive onlookers through the squatting actions of our State as applied through the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS).”

Unfortunately, these actions have “failed for both the farmer and the environment as detailed by an NPWS report outlining how 92% of these habitats have stagnated or regressed while under their control. Habitats delivered by our farmers through their farming practices, and identified because they were worth protecting. For these farmers the last 20 years has, stressed the INHFA President “been very difficult. In this period, they have been denied the opportunity to manage their lands while also being blamed for any regression in the habitat status and now the Irish State and EU want to drive on with this failed policy.”

Proposals in the EU Biodiversity Strategy to double the area of land designated and introduce a more restrictive designation type titled strictly protected will stated O’Donnell “fail as the current policy has, because just like the 1990’s we have a policy dictated to us from Europe without any consultation with the landowners. It's also very important not to turn a blind eye to the thousands of farm families who farm those lands daily and support our local businesses ."

“If the EU and Irish State are serious about protecting our biodiversity and improving habitat status then they need to engage with our farmers who have delivered in the past and can do so again” stated the farm leader.In doing this, he continued “there needs to be an acceptance that the ongoing policy of squatting on farmer’s land is wrong and must be reversed.”

Concluding O’Donnell warned “how failure to address this will have major consequences for the ongoing policy and any new strategy, as farmers and their families are at breaking point on this.”

In our assessment of the Consultation document there were aspects we found vague, for example; what is a ‘whole field’ approach and how results are scored? On this basis, we believe that more detail is needed on how the reward structure will work with due consideration given to rewarding existing good practice. In relation to opportunity foregone, consideration must be given to those farmers whose activities have already been restricted by the imposition of designations. Notwithstanding this, we welcome aspects of the proposal such as recognition and valuing of existing habitats, the emphasis on better education for both the farmer and DAFM personnel and the willingness to create a fair market for environmental services.

Position Our environment is under threat. Our farming population is under threat. We are in danger of losing arguably the more environmentally benign extensive farmer to an increasingly large-scale intensive form of agriculture. This will bring further pressure on our environment and culture. Protection of the environment is restrictive and takes much work, if Irish and European governments wish to embed real environmental protection they must engage in a fair transaction with farmers and reward this work properly.

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The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) have called for a comprehensive review of the Organic Scheme which they maintain is an essential component in developing this sector.

INHFA spokesperson Henry O’Donnell outlined how the Department have sought feedback on the current selection criteria for entry to the scheme, but maintains that this alone won’t be enough. This issue was also addressed by the organisation in a recent meeting with Minister Pippa Hackett.

In discussing the organisation's concerns O’Donnell pointed to issues on stocking rates, farm size and farm enterprise. Currently the maximum payment rate can only be achieved for livestock farmers if they maintain a minimum stocking rate of 0.5/LU/ha with a significantly reduced payment for farmers that don’t achieve this.

O’Donnell maintained that “this policy actively discriminates against extensive farming systems many of which are restricted by National and EU law from carrying higher stocking rates such as those farming on Natura 2000 sites.”

This issue was , he added “discussed in our meeting with Minister Hackett where we got confirmation from a Department official that the decision to introduce this was made in Ireland and is not an EU requirement.”

Unfortunately, the minimum stocking rate is not the only issue of concern. The INHFA spokesperson highlighted “how farmers on smaller holdings that are in GLAS are having to forfeit organic payments in order to comply with GLAS, while at the same time we see additional payments for larger holdings of 50ha or more.”

These issues in addition to the marking system that undermines access to the scheme for beef and sheep farmers have all formed part of the INHFA submission to the Department.

The INHFA Spokesperson also highlighted the EU Farm to Fork Strategy which proposes that at least 25% of the EU’s utilisable agricultural area be under organic farming by 2030. In Ireland with less than 2% currently, we are he stated “lightyears away from this and while we hear talk of progress, farmers that are willing to make the transition are deliberately denied access to the organic scheme.

In concluding O’Donnell stressed the need to provide equal access and support to all farmers that are willing to make the transition to organic farming and stated “how new farmers applying must also be given clarity, and should not have additional compliance costs with no assurance of entry to the scheme.”

The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) are calling on Minister McConalogue to intervene and ensure a Council of Ministers proposal with regard to the management of peat-soils is withdrawn. The Council’s proposal which is covered under eligible hectare in GAEC 2 will, stated INHFA President Colm O’Donnell “create a situation that agricultural activity on these peat-soils is no longer allowed as farmers are required to carry out actions that will make farming activity impossible. If this happens then the land impacted will not be viewed as an agricultural area making the area concerned ineligible for CAP payments.”

This maintained the INHFA leader “is a major concern especially for the estimated 50,000 farmers across one million hectares with varying amounts of peat-soils. For these farmers the application of GAEC 2 under the proposed Council text will create another designation”.

Since this Council text first appeared, we have, continued O'Donnell, “been making representations to our Public Representatives both here and in Brussels highlighting the dangers that are in this proposal.”