Creed has ruled out the possibility of a tillage fund to help grain farmers in the west who have had a poor yield this year due to bad weather.
Replying to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil Kerry TD John Brassil, the minister said there is “no specific funding available for losses due to poor weather conditions”.
“While there is no specific funding available for losses due to poor weather conditions,” the minister said, “I wish to confirm that at Agriculture Council I have repeatedly called for the situation on agricultural markets to be kept under ongoing review, and have said that we should be ready to deploy support measures if the circumstances require it.”
Under pressure
The minister has been under pressure to announce a tillage crisis fund from opposition TDs and the IFA since early October when the most difficult harvest tillage farmers have faced in years drew to a close.
Individual growers experienced crop losses running from 25% to close on 50%, with straw loss averaging about 50%
Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesman Charlie McConalogue has repeatedly called for a crisis fund to be established at either national or European level.
And at this week’s Joint Oireachtas Agriculture Committee meeting, IFA president Joe Healy made the case for a €5m aid package for the sector.
It is critical that an aid package is secured and put in place for these growers as a matter of urgency
“A comprehensive survey of the farmers affected by dire weather this year, carried out by the IFA, in consultation with Teagasc and the grain trade, indicates that individual growers experienced crop losses running from 25% to close on 50%, with straw loss averaging about 50%,” Healy said.
“It is critical that an aid package is secured and put in place for these growers as a matter of urgency, given the dire financial situation that many of them find themselves in through no fault of their own.”
The IFA proposed direct compensation payments of up to €15,000 for farmers affected by severe crop losses this year, with a total estimate of €5m.
Read more
Tillage management: dry land in December is a rarity
Creed has ruled out the possibility of a tillage fund to help grain farmers in the west who have had a poor yield this year due to bad weather.
Replying to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil Kerry TD John Brassil, the minister said there is “no specific funding available for losses due to poor weather conditions”.
“While there is no specific funding available for losses due to poor weather conditions,” the minister said, “I wish to confirm that at Agriculture Council I have repeatedly called for the situation on agricultural markets to be kept under ongoing review, and have said that we should be ready to deploy support measures if the circumstances require it.”
Under pressure
The minister has been under pressure to announce a tillage crisis fund from opposition TDs and the IFA since early October when the most difficult harvest tillage farmers have faced in years drew to a close.
Individual growers experienced crop losses running from 25% to close on 50%, with straw loss averaging about 50%
Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesman Charlie McConalogue has repeatedly called for a crisis fund to be established at either national or European level.
And at this week’s Joint Oireachtas Agriculture Committee meeting, IFA president Joe Healy made the case for a €5m aid package for the sector.
It is critical that an aid package is secured and put in place for these growers as a matter of urgency
“A comprehensive survey of the farmers affected by dire weather this year, carried out by the IFA, in consultation with Teagasc and the grain trade, indicates that individual growers experienced crop losses running from 25% to close on 50%, with straw loss averaging about 50%,” Healy said.
“It is critical that an aid package is secured and put in place for these growers as a matter of urgency, given the dire financial situation that many of them find themselves in through no fault of their own.”
The IFA proposed direct compensation payments of up to €15,000 for farmers affected by severe crop losses this year, with a total estimate of €5m.
Read more
Tillage management: dry land in December is a rarity
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