Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, has announced details of his department’s 2022 Budget.
The estimates provide a gross vote of €1.858 billion for the DAFM.
This is in addition to almost €1.2 billion in EU-funded direct payments to support farm incomes and reward good agricultural and environmental practices.
Further funding will be made available to the Fisheries and Agri-Food sectors in 2022 through the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR).
Speaking after the budget, the minister said:
“In a time of transition, farmers can have confidence that this budget protects farm family income and supports action to improve safety and sustainability on farms; we have succeeded in maintaining all of the crucial farm schemes.”
“The budget provision will also allow us to provide additional funding for a number of policy priorities.”
He said that protecting farm family incomes is at the centre of this year’s budget.
Agriculture Budget 2022
- Some €872 million in funding for Rural Development and Forestry supports, including:
- More than €100 million in targeted supports for the beef and sheep sectors, including BDGP, BEEP-S, Sheep Welfare Scheme and Dairy Calf Programme
- €80m for on-farm investments through TAMS, including specific supports for solar energy installation
- €7m for Enterprise Ireland capital investment schemes, to support the meat and dairy sector to invest in greater product and market diversification
- €4m for the establishment of a Food Ombudsman’s Office
- An innovative initiative to grant aid and support the planting of multi-species swards
- Ongoing access to flexible loan schemes through the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland for farmers, fishers and food and drink SMEs
- €15m for the continuation of the soil sampling scheme
- An extra €1.5m to support the work of animal welfare organisations, meeting the commitment in the Programme for Government to double this funding;
- An additional €2m to support farm safety initiatives;
- €21m to support organic farming;
- A tax package that protects the stamp duty relief for young, trained farmers, and stock relief. Also, extends the excise relief currently available to micro-breweries to cider producers;
- €153m for Teagasc;
- €53m for Bord Bia.
Minister McConalogue is “satisfied” that the combination of direct financial supports and taxation reliefs in this budget, together with the supports to be provided under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve in the future, will provide “a good, balanced package of measures” for farmers.
He is “working closely” with his colleague, Minister McGrath, to finalise a financial package for the new CAP 2023-2028.
See more Budget-related articles.
