€2.75m fodder incentive for tillage farmers
An extra 23,000 hectares of catch crops is the aim of the €100-155 per hectare incentive for tillage farmers announced last week by the government.
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said the €2.75m measure will support tillage farmers to supply into the strong market for fodder.
It offers €155 per hectare for a temporary crop of short rotation grass for fodder production, and €100 per hectare for catch crops such as fodder rape, turnips.
Over 23,000 hectares of catch crops are supported in the GLAS scheme, and the latest funding is designed to incentivise doubling this area.
The measure will not apply where land is being taken out of tillage production, it is for temporary production only of fodder by tillage farmers growing between three hectares and 50 hectares of temporary forage crops (additional to that already grown under GLAS, or declared as Catch Crops to satisfy the E cological Focus Areas requirements under Greening).
Minister Creed said he has secured a temporary flexibility in the ‘three crop rule’ for arable farmers. Additionally, GLAS farmers can sow Italian ryegrass as part of their GLAS commitment and avail of earlier use of the crop.
A GLAS participant may apply for this measure on tillage land not in receipt of GLAS Catch Crop aid.
The crop must be grown to commercial requirements, the recommended seeding and fertilisation rates must be used. It must be on lands declared as tillage in the 2018 BPS application.
Further details will be made available on the Department website.
IFA President Joe Healy welcomed the scheme to encourage farmers to sow fast growing fodder crops, saying it can play a part in closing the fodder deficit.
IFA Grain Chairman Mark Browne said the scheme must be kept simple.
Farmers in GLAS are also allowed a second cut of hay or silage on Traditional Hay Measure parcels.
Minister Creed said he is seeking a Low Input Permanent Pasture derogation also, and species sown and time period flexibility for catch crops in the Ecological Focus Area (EFA) element of the Greening Scheme.
- A stock of recent Keenan mixer wagon trade-in machines are being made available by the company for three-month winter rentals.
Matt Higgins, Keenan commercial director, said: “We were prompted to take action as we have been inundated with calls from across the country from farmers who are actively looking for support on this crisis.”
To assist farmers with evaluating feeding options and to generate a feed budget for the coming months, the rental scheme includes the opportunity for an InTouch nutritional advice on-farm visit, and continued InTouch support.
- According to DoneDeal.ie analysis of over 5,000 adverts for bales in June and July on the advertising website, the silage price has jumped 31% from €20.24 a bale 12 months ago to €29.22, and hay is up 18% to €27.23. Straw prices increased 32% in 12 months, from €16.35 a bale to €24.02.
Spanish companies are advertising alfalfa and English straw on DoneDeal.
