Last Thursday’s tillage forum failed to substantially progress either of the two key issues before it, frustrating farmers. The Department will form a technical group to work out the criteria under which aid could be paid out. A crisis fund for the 2016 harvest is only slightly closer, with a commitment for a technical group of department officials to meet with farmer representatives to thrash out how a scheme would operate.
Last Thursday’s tillage forum failed to substantially progress either of the two key issues before it, frustrating farmers.
The Department will form a technical group to work out the criteria under which aid could be paid out. A crisis fund for the 2016 harvest is only slightly closer, with a commitment for a technical group of department officials to meet with farmer representatives to thrash out how a scheme would operate.
“We were expecting something a little more tangible,” IFA grain chair Liam Dunne said, “because the Department might not agree to the criteria worked out by the group. So this leaves a big question mark over the crisis aid.”
Dunne pointed out that the Dáil had strongly supported the establishment of a fund, and that the worst-affected farmers in last year’s harvest now needed funding to allow them to trade in 2017. “This money – no more than €5m – might just give struggling farm families the will and the means to continue,” he added.
The hoped-for announcement by Minister Michael Creed of the opening of a tillage TAMS did not materialise either. Dunne expressed the hope that it would be in place for the April deadline for the next tranche of TAMS. It’s understood some technical difficulties remain.
That said, Dunne remained positive as to the potential of the tillage forum, which gathers all the key players in the tillage sector together, to deliver real benefits to farmers over time.
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