MOST FARMERS will not be interested in the proposed agri-environmental scheme which will replace the Rural Environment Protection Scheme, a farm leader has claimed.
John Bryan of the Irish Farmers Association said he was seeking a meeting with Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith on the issue.
He would be asking Mr Smith to intervene with his officials as the proposed new agri-environmental scheme was “unworkable” and did not meet farmer expectations.
“As it now stands, the proposed scheme will not deliver for farmers, the environment or the rural economy and the Minister must now take steps to come forward with a more meaningful scheme,” Mr Bryan said.
“The promised € 50 million for the scheme in 2010 will not be taken up, as the vast majority of farmers will not be interested.
“The scheme must be practical and farmers must be in a position to secure payments which reflect their input into the environmental works being carried out. It is clear that the scheme is too cumbersome and lacks credibility.”
Mr Bryan said renegotiation with Brussels should be considered if changes were not made.
Funding for the new scheme mainly comes from modulated funds deducted from the Single Farm Payment scheme and farmers would not sit idly by where money deducted was being used to such ill effect.