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HomeFarming NewsEverything you need to know about the €56 million Fodder Support Scheme
Catherina Cunnane
Catherina Cunnanehttps://www.thatsfarming.com/
Catherina Cunnane hails from a sixth-generation drystock and specialised pedigree suckler enterprise in Co. Mayo. She currently holds the positions of editor and general manager at That's Farming, having joined the firm during its start-up phase in 2015.
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Everything you need to know about the €56 million Fodder Support Scheme

Fodder Support Scheme

The Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, has launched a €56 million Fodder Support Scheme.

Today’s (Wednesday, June 15th) on from the package of measures in recent months to provide support to Irish farmers.

According to the DAFM, the scheme aims to incentivise farmers, in particular, drystock farmers to grow more fodder (silage and/or hay) for the coming winter.

This, the DAFM says, is to ensure that Ireland does not have any animal welfare issues over the coming winter and next spring.

Recent survey results by Teagasc show that half of all drystock farmers have spread no chemical nitrogen fertiliser at all on their silage ground.

This is the latest support measure the minister has implemented for farmers to deal with the impact of the war in Ukraine on input prices.

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In March, the DAFM launched a €12m Tillage Incentive Scheme to encourage the growth of tillage crops, red clover, and multi-species sward.

The DAFM has delivered two separate support packages worth €20m for the pig sector have delivered, while it has implemented a targeted package worth almost €3m to the horticulture and veg sector.

Eligibility and payment rates
  • Only farmers with grassland will be eligible to apply for the latest measure. Milk suppliers cannot avail of this support.
  • Furthermore, tillage land and lands classified as Category 1 land under the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme will not be eligible for support.
  • The maximum area eligible for payment under the scheme is 10 hectares, with a potential maximum payment of €1,000.
  • Where the scheme is oversubscribed, the payment rate per hectare will be less than €100 per hectare.
  • In this scenario, the department will reduce the payment rate for all hectares or maintain the rate of €100 per hectare on the first few hectares and reduce it on the latter hectares.
  • It will commence payments in late November 2022 once all administrative, compliance, and on-the-spot inspections have been undertaken. It confirmed that it will make all payments before the end of 2022.
  • The application system for the scheme will be ‘live’ in the coming days.
  • Farmers wishing to apply can do so either themselves or through their advisor up to August 2nd, 2022.

Minister McConalogue said: “I urge eligible farmers to apply on time and to ensure they read the Terms and Conditions of the scheme, in particular, that the areas entered for the scheme must be cut and conserved by September 5th, 2022”.

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