The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) is calling on the Minister of Agriculture to set up a specific taskforce to help farmers as fears around the coronavirus contagion grow.
Their president Colm O’Donnell said that poor weather pressure and the threat of the virus was compounding stress levels on farms.
With calving and lambing in full swing, he said it would be a demanding time for farmers.
O’Donnell insisted that a taskforce was needed to make farmers aware of the supports that were available to them.
These include:
A national taskforce involving Department staff and other stakeholders such as Teagasc, Farm Relief Service, co-ops and farming organisations. The responsibility is to work with the Government, other agencies, banks etc and to oversee a support structure in each DVO region.At national level the taskforce will need to ensure that farmers with the virus can easily avail of the State-funded illness benefit which will rise to €305/week. They will also need to ensure flexibility from our banks and lending institutions and where required rescheduled loan repayments and ensure working capital through extended overdraft facilities.At DVO level, we need manned telephone lines that farmers can contact if sick with the virus, so assistance can be provided in the form of advice and farm labour.In order to provide personnel for the telephone lines and other requirements we suspend all farm inspections and redeploy the staff.At county/DVO level there will be a need for ongoing co-operation between Department of Agriculture, Farm Relief and other farm labour providers, Teagasc, other farm advisors, the co-ops and the farming organisations to ensure farmers have the support they need in terms of labour, fodder and cash.He also called for the immediate pay out of balancing payments in GLAS and Sheep Welfare and the re-opening of GLAS with an up-front payment to support farmers.
Read more
Agri-events cancelled due to coronavirus
Coronavirus: Dairygold establishes ‘pandemic response group’
The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) is calling on the Minister of Agriculture to set up a specific taskforce to help farmers as fears around the coronavirus contagion grow.
Their president Colm O’Donnell said that poor weather pressure and the threat of the virus was compounding stress levels on farms.
With calving and lambing in full swing, he said it would be a demanding time for farmers.
O’Donnell insisted that a taskforce was needed to make farmers aware of the supports that were available to them.
These include:
A national taskforce involving Department staff and other stakeholders such as Teagasc, Farm Relief Service, co-ops and farming organisations. The responsibility is to work with the Government, other agencies, banks etc and to oversee a support structure in each DVO region.At national level the taskforce will need to ensure that farmers with the virus can easily avail of the State-funded illness benefit which will rise to €305/week. They will also need to ensure flexibility from our banks and lending institutions and where required rescheduled loan repayments and ensure working capital through extended overdraft facilities.At DVO level, we need manned telephone lines that farmers can contact if sick with the virus, so assistance can be provided in the form of advice and farm labour.In order to provide personnel for the telephone lines and other requirements we suspend all farm inspections and redeploy the staff.At county/DVO level there will be a need for ongoing co-operation between Department of Agriculture, Farm Relief and other farm labour providers, Teagasc, other farm advisors, the co-ops and the farming organisations to ensure farmers have the support they need in terms of labour, fodder and cash.He also called for the immediate pay out of balancing payments in GLAS and Sheep Welfare and the re-opening of GLAS with an up-front payment to support farmers.
Read more
Agri-events cancelled due to coronavirus
Coronavirus: Dairygold establishes ‘pandemic response group’
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