€250m waste scheme for farmers

A NEW multi-million-euro waste-management scheme designed to help farmers adjust to the environmental conditions required by the European Union nitrates directive was announced at the weekend by Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan.

The announcement followed European Commission approval of the wide-ranging scheme, which Ms Coughlan described as an exciting and forward-looking Government measure.

Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association’s farm services committee chairman Conor Creedon welcomed the scheme and said it would finally allow farmers to invest for the future.

Ms Coughlan said the scheme represents a major financial contribution by the Government to modernising Irish agriculture and to helping farmers meet new standards required by the nitrates directive.

The demand-led scheme has a projection of up to €250 million over the next three years. Some €42m is provided in her department estimates for this year. EU co-funding of this expenditure will be up to 40%.

Ms Coughlan said great efforts had been made to keep the bureaucracy, including the details required on the application form, to a minimum. The department was also providing an extensive easy-to-read document on the terms and conditions.

Ms Coughlan stressed that applications under the scheme must be received by her department before December 31 of this year and that the work involved in installing the improved facilities be completed before December 31, 2008.

Under the existing Nitrates Regulations, storage facilities for pig farmers must be completed by December 31, 2006.

Ms Coughlan said she was pleased the scheme recognised the need for differential treatment of counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Monaghan.

A 70% standard grant rate was being applied in this zone to both animal housing and slurry storage as compared with the new 60% grant rate in other areas. These increases were very significant given the current grant rate for this work was 40% throughout the country.