EU Agriculture Ministers have resumed their 2-day meeting in Brussels with the focus of discussions on reform to payments under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

It is understood a compromised proposal on the reforms will be presented to EU ministers at the meeting.

The CAP payments are worth around €1.5 billion to the Irish economy every year. However Irish farmers appear to be split over the proposed changes.

The IFA is urging Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to reject them saying it is unfair to take money away from productive to farmers to subsidise those who produce little.

Mairead Lavery of the Irish Farmers Journal says farmers here have a number of concerns.

"One of the things there they're very worried about is this whole area of convergence - where basically, the same hectare payment right across the EU, irrespective of the level of production," she said.

"What the Irish farmers want is to make sure that the productive sector gets the majority of the payments because it's really critical to our plans for Harvest 2020," she added.

'Irish priorities fought for'

Minister Coveney has called on member states to take a clear and decisive step towards a new CAP framework.

On assuming the Presidency of the Council of Agriculture Ministers, Minister Coveney made it clear that his primary objective was to secure what is known as a Council general approach on the entire CAP reform package by the end of March.

"I am not underestimating the scale of the challenge...it is indeed a significant one given the range and complexity of issues that are still on the table" he said. "However, in another sense it is also a very straightforward one, because in the end it boils down to the ability to compromise" he added.

Speaking on his way into the talks, the Minister said the proposals will see elements of compromise for everyone.