€100/ha for farmers who plant crops this year - Minister
Contractor Seamus Coogan sowing barley in recent weeks in Carlow. Photo Roger Jones.
Farmers who plant field crops this year will receive €100/ha, the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue announced at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis today.
“I want to help tillage farmers have the confidence to plant in 2024, so I am committing that I will find a mechanism to support any farmer that puts seed in the soil this year.
“Tillage farmers are fearful, unsure of what or when it will be possible to plant their crops and what it will be possible to yield, as the weather continues to impact. Fianna Fáil is absolutely committed to increasing our tillage area and despite the restraints of my existing budget I am committing to deliver €100/ha for tillage farmers who plant field crops in 2024."
It comes after months of bad weather has left the majority of farmers unable to get crops in the ground.
Recent figures from Teagasc, given to the National Fodder and Food Security Committee, showed that as little as 10-15pc of crops were in the ground, with it now being too late for some crops to be planted.
Just two years ago the Minister committed €12m to a Tillage Incentive Scheme, launched in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine to reduce the country's dependency on imported grain. The scheme was worth €400/ha to farmers who planted tillage crops. Around 2,000 farmers availed of the scheme with the area under tillage rising by around 6pc.
Today, Minister McConalogue reiterated Fianna Fáil's commitment to farmers, saying it had delivered a 50pc increase in funding for CAP and our Programme for Government commitments for farmers are all being delivered.
“I committed over €100m to fodder supports over the last two years. This built-up stocks on farms meaning we don’t have a national shortage like we did when the weather hit us hard such as most recently in 2018. I also acted decisively pausing non-essential inspections and tasking Teagasc with coordinating the movement of fodder supplies between farmers. This week I introduced an economic support measure to facilitate the transport of fodder.
“Many farmers feel maligned and like second class citizens. That is wrong and a narrative that must be stopped in its tracks. I want to see farmers confident in what they do, confident in what deliver and confident in the future of their industry. I am both listening and acting and that is why today I am making this commitment to our tillage sector.”
