This article is from page 36 of the 2007-10-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 36 JPG
MACRA na Feirme national presi- dent Catherine Buckley has called for all barriers to be removed to allow farmers to gain economies of scale by farming in partnership.
Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships, Ms Buckley said that New Entrant Parent Partnerships were a good example of providing a gateway into the industry for young people who can then get involved in the management of the farm, even if their parents are still a long way JUKOee Kc Nu eeleelm
The Macra leader pointed out that given the rapid pace of change in
Irish farming, interest was now in- creasing in partnerships and that as much as possible should be done to facilitate their establishment.
‘For example, under the recently announced Farm Improvement Scheme, which includes the Dairy Hygiene Scheme, there are still some anomalies affecting young farm- ers which need to be properly ad- dressed,” she said.
“While the new scheme abolished the ‘five-year rule’ for eligibility for the 10 per cent top-up grant for young farmers, it excluded top-ups for young farmers in New Entrant Parent Partnerships.”
Macra is calling for an amend-
ment to the new scheme to allow a young farmer in a New Entrant Par- ent Partnership, who qualifies for Installation Aid, to automatically qualify for the young farmer top-up of 10 per cent.
With reference to Milk Production Partnerships, Buckley pointed out that under the French GAECs system (French farm partnership model) members of a partnership are treat- ed as individuals for the purpose of qualifying for agricultural schemes.
“There are inconsistencies in the department’s treatment of Milk Production Partnerships, as all par- ties in this type of partnership are entitled to payment under the Rural
Environmental Protection Scheme, yet the same partnership is eligible for only one payment from the Farm Improvement Scheme,” she said.
“Availability of land is a major is- sue, and with the huge increases in land prices, purchasing land to enter farming or expand your business is no longer a realistic option for most farmers. Long-term leases can also be very difficult to secure in certain ea ueL bbs etsie-b seh
“The Department of Agriculture must ensure that, where practicable, schemes and rules will act to encour- age and promote farming in partner- ship in the interests of efficiency and competitiveness,” she added.