All three MEPs in Northern Ireland have now heard how Fermanagh farmers viewed the new CAP reforms for the next period. Earlier in the year, hill farmers in Fermanagh met the UUP’s MEP, Jim Nicholson and last week it was the turn of Sinn Fein and the DUP.

The Fermanagh SDA Group hosted the Sinn Fein MEP, Martina Anderson MEP at Boho Community Centre where she also saw local farms. Accompanied by the former Agriculture Minister and now MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Michelle Gildernew, they indicated they were impressed with the vibrant rural economy which has been solely developed around agriculture.

Farmers explained clearly the detrimental effect anything but a single tier would have on the Fermanagh area and Martina Anderson agreed.

She told farmers, “We believe that splitting of the north into two or more regions makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and is merely an attempt to create a two tier system of payments which will limit the impact on areas outside the SDA by further discriminating against the SDA.” Martina Anderson told the meeting, “Another major issue is the transition to a flat rate of Single Farm Payments. Different models have been put forward and I believe that those who are trying to protect the status quo are in favour of the slowest rate of change possible and that includes the DUP and UUP. I want to state clearly here tonight that the Sinn Féin view is that there should be an immediate transition to a flat rate in 2015.

“I understand that there are arguments about allowing time to adjust and see some plausibility in these arguments however farmers in SDA were not given any time to adjust 10 years ago, the transition was immediate then and farmers in these areas have had to wait an entire decade to have this issue addressed therefore they should not have to wait a further five or 10 years to see the wrong done then, righted.

“Over the next few months we will hear a lot of talk about ‘productive’ farmers and that their interests need to be protected. I see this sort of language as simply code for big lowland farmers who have had all the advantages of enhanced subsidies and good land for years. It is a myth that changing the allocation of EU subsidies to a flat rate will impact on production, it is simply not true and I have had this confirmed to me by DARD economists. The thing that will make a difference to production will be the additional resources that should come from the Executive for the Going for Growth strategy as well as private sector investment and that is what we should be focused on in the time ahead.” On Wednesday evening the group met the DUP’s MEP, Diane Dodds when they had what they described as a “very meaningful and informative discussion.” A spokesman for the SDA Group said that while there were obvious differences in how they believed the CAP Reform should progress especially single or two region model, they also shared interests.

The group says it is pleased with the level of membership.