WEST Cork farmers have reacted with scepticism to draft proposals for the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to introduce EU-funded subsidies to cover replacement labour on farms.

This would mean, if approved, funds could be used to pay relief workers to allow farmers take holidays, sick leave, bereavement leave and also attend courses, and childcare.

However award-winning local farmers say while the idea to subsidise replacement labour sounds good in theory it’s mainly a ‘tokenistic’ gesture and ‘headline grabbing’ exercise.

Aherla dairy farmer Peter Hynes said that all support is welcomed, but that ‘the EU is putting themselves in a laughable position of contemplating giving funding to take days off while taxing us to
oblivion.’

‘This is like a tap on the shoulder giving a half-hearted hint they might have our back, and nothing else,’ he said. He feels that EU policy leaders are ‘alienating the consumer by continually coming up with ways to give farmers handouts.’

‘What the consumer doesn’t know is we’re only breaking even or operating at a loss. They doesn’t understand how CAP works so it looks like we’re getting handouts and they’re not,’ said Peter.

‘Rather than coming up with new ways to give us funding, the price of food at the farm gate should be linked to the cost of inputs. The  EU need to wake up and realise where food comes from, instead of turning Europe into a big nature park,’ he
said.

Dairy farmer Vanessa Kiely O’Connor, Upton said the proposals ‘sound great in theory and as a headline grabber.’

‘But these particular proposals to be funded are not mandatory or ringfenced in the next proposed CAP, and will be at the discretion of each member state. So I am sceptical as to how this can be achieved with a 22% reduction in the CAP budget and the possibility of having to cover new schemes to address climate action and biodiversity and given that all our national government depts have to cut their own budgets because of an national overspend,’ she said.

Vanessa manages her time off farm thanks to cover from husband.

‘He takes time off his work to cover me if I have to go off farm and over the years I have depended on some neighbours to cover the milking if we do go on a short family break. We usually ask when they might be available and fit our break to their schedule,’ she said.

‘The EU is already directing funding into defence and member states will start paying back the Covid loans in 2028. To quote the movie Jerry Maguire, “show me the moneyw,” she said.  The EU plan is also designed  to combat burnout and attract a new generation of farmers. Timoleague dairy farmer and FG county cllr John Michael Foley highlighted how farming is a 24/7 job: ‘It’s the same as running any business, you can’t quantify the hours involved, but farming especially be a lonely enterprise so any moves to support time off or promote a social outlet has to be a good thing.’

He also pointed how the proposal would be a positive step to encourage young people into farming.

‘If farmers were taking time off, a younger generation would step in, so this would create employment as well as giving them a taste of farming life,’ said Cllr Foley.

However, Peter remained unconvinced: ‘If I get sick tomorrow I’ve already got insurance to cover that. Are the EU going to pay me on top of that? I don’t think so.’