As grain growers prepare for a second night’s stay in Department of Agriculture headquarters, talks between IFA president and Minister Michael Creed are focusing on a total compensation fund of €1.5m.

IFA grain chair Liam Dunne told the Irish Farmers Journal that farmers are still insisting that the mooted €5,000 cap on payments to individual farmers be removed.

However he added that the IFA believes the compensation scheme can work within the total budget of €1.5m agreed between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

The move would see around 160 to 170 farmers compensated for their losses, but some growers would lose out.

Higher losses

“It will focus on those who had higher losses,” Dunne said. “Salt losses – where winter crops were sown and lost due to winter storms - won’t be included. And straw losses won’t be included as they can’t be verified; there is no independent record of straw.”

Dunne said that there would be some farmers from all affected counties who would lose out.

However, there would be a higher numbers of growers from south Cork and possibly Donegal who would not meet the criteria for the as-yet unpublished scheme.

There would be a higher number of growers from south Cork and possibly Donegal who would not meet the criteria

The IFA’s December survey of farmers who suffered losses included 245 farmers who lost more than €4.1m. Their total loss on grain amounted to €3.032m, while they also lost €1.073m on straw.

Department position

With the farmer sit-in at Agriculture House now moving into a second night, the Department of Agriculture has not wavered from its position.

On Thursday morning, it reiterated its statement on the IFA’s request for a meeting with Minister Creed.

The final terms and conditions and application process for such a scheme are yet to be finalised and published

“The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine yesterday [Wednesday] received a request from the IFA for a meeting to discuss a proposed crop compensation fund for tillage farmers affected by the severe weather events of September 2016. The Department are happy to facilitate this meeting as soon as possible.

“Notwithstanding approval by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the outline of a crop loss compensation scheme, the final terms and conditions and application process for such a scheme are yet to be finalised and published by the Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine.”

Second night

Five tillage farmers are continuing their sit-in inside the Department of Agriculture on Thursday night, supported by a further group of 15.

They remain adamant that they will not leave until the Minister has met with IFA representatives about the Crop Loss Compensation Scheme’s mooted maximum of €5,000 per farmer.

Dunne said that Minister Michael Creed and IFA president Joe Healy were in direct contact on Thursday evening.

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