Thousands of farmers could be missing out on pandemic payments worth €350/week.

Just 7,000 farmers have applied for payments – one of the lowest of any sector. The IFA is urging farmers who have lost income due to mart closures and poor beef prices to apply for the Government support.

Up to two-thirds of Ireland’s 140,000 farmers work off-farm in some capacity and, according to the IFA, both full-time and part-time farmers can avail of the €350/week payment as long as their income has been affected.

The Department Employment Affairs and Social Protection told the Irish Farmers Journal on Wednesday that, in common with all self-employed workers, farmers can apply for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. However, it said that farmers would have to satisfy the conditions for receipt of the payment, “which are that they must have experienced a collapse of income and be available to take up other full-time work”.

Losses

An Irish Farmers Journal analysis shows finished cattle prices are currently running up to 50c/kg or €200 per head behind the five-year average.

Ineligible farmers can apply for Farm Assist. The ICMSA has called for it to be increased from €203 to the COVID-19 payment of €350 per week.