CONCERNS have been raised that farmers and rural communities in Fermanagh could be left behind as the implementation of the EU Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) begins in the Republic of Ireland.

Due to Brexit, farmers in Northern Ireland can no longer access the grant, while in the South, the Irish Government has a €10.5bn share of the policy.

Erne West Councillor, Anthony Feely, said there was no “certainty for farmers about funding beyond 2022” while he added there has been no progress on the British government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

‘Public consultation’

“The Dublin government has undertaken a public consultation to inform [farmers about] their CAP national strategic plan with a confirmed budget of €10.5bn,” said the Sinn Féin Councillor.

“The British government dragged us out of the EU against our wishes, and have left us in a no-man’s limbo.”

Councillor Feely believes this poses a serious threat to the farming sector’s ability to compete on a level playing field with counterparts in the South.

“The new CAP gives farmers in the South and across the EU certainty of continued direct payments.

“With a strong focus on generational renewal, young farmers, environmental and climate action in the South, farmers in Fermanagh and the whole of the North are in a precarious position as Britain moves away from the CAP model of support.”