The president welcomed the passing of Fianna Fáil’s private members motion on Thursday afternoon, which calls for the establishment of a crisis support fund to provide direct payments to farmers who were impacted by severe crop loss in 2016.
“Following our protest outside the Dail yesterday, there is a groundswell of support for those tillage farmers who incurred significant weather losses during last year’s harvest,” Healy said.
I am anxious to do it in the best possible way, that delivers to those who are most adversely affected
Speaking in the Dáil on Wednesday night, Minister Creed said he would be convening a meeting of the national tillage forum within the next two weeks to discuss the emergency aid issue.
And speaking at the IFA AGM on Tuesday, the Minister recognised the hardship felt by tillage farmers and accepted the need for emergency aid, saying: “I am anxious to do it in the best possible way, that delivers to those who are most adversely affected”.
Deepening income crisis
President Healy said the agenda for the tillage forum must also address the need to implement an action plan to tackle the serious and deepening income crisis affecting grain growers and the wider tillage sector.
He welcomed Creed’s comments at the IFA AGM and in the Dáil debate concerning the critical importance of the tillage sector to our agricultural economy and the need for initiatives in the marketing and branding of Irish grain.
Healy also acknowledged confirmation that the €150m low-interest agri cashflow loan fund, which includes tillage farmers, will be available later this month and that the TAMS scheme for tillage will be launched in a couple of weeks.
The right decision
ICSA president Patrick Kent also welcomed the passing of the motion, saying the decision to assist farmers who suffered massive crop losses is indeed the right one.
"All farming sectors are vulnerable to their incomes being decimated by a variety of factors, most notably due to adverse weather conditions, so I welcome this badly needed intervention," he said. "Cereal farmers in Ireland are under a lot of pressure due to abysmal grain prices globally but their position has not been helped by a lack of attention here over several years."