The Government has announced a range of measures to support women’s participation in farming as part of the new CAP Strategic Plan.
Plans includes: an increased rate of grant aid of 60% for women aged 41-55 years under Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS); women-only Knowledge Transfer (KT) Groups; and a call under the European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) initiative for proposals to examine women’s participation in agriculture.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said: “The contribution of women to agriculture is important and my Department has worked to design measures which will increase their participation in farming.
“Food Vision 2030, the agri-food sector’s new ten-year stakeholder strategy, also supports an enhanced role for women in the sector and recommends some further actions, including a national dialogue on women in agriculture.”
The new CAP Regulations focus on promoting the participation of women in the socio-economic development of rural areas, with special attention to farming. The SWOT analysis in preparation for Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan identified gender inequality as a weakness, while the economic benefits of increasing female participation was identified as an opportunity.
LSL News.