The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has approved an aid package for farmers who lost crops to unseasonal rain in parts of the country during the 2016 harvest, a Government source told the Irish Farmers Journal.

This was the last hurdle before farmers can avail of the scheme. The Department of Agriculture designed it last month and sought funding from the Exchequer, which is now available.

The full amount available has not yet been made public, although a maximum of €15,000 for each of the 200 to 300 farmers affected by at least 30% crop loss was suggested in earlier discussions between the Department and the IFA.

IFA president Joe Healy has welcomed the announcement of the financial support scheme and called for its prompt implementation, but sounded a note of caution. “We would be concerned that the scheme is too narrow and restrictive. The budget allocated may not be sufficient to cover the full extent of the losses incurred by farmers,” Healy said.

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that the Department is now preparing application forms for farmers to access the funds.

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