Payments to farmers under upland sheep scheme get under way

PAYMENTS to eligible farmers under the new upland sheep scheme have commenced, Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith announced yesterday.

He said he expected payments worth in the region of €5 million would be made by the end of the year with the additional top-up from the remaining €2m being paid in early 2010.

“In view of the particular difficulties being experienced by Irish sheep farmers, I decided, earlier in the year, that the only funding available to me from the single farm payment national reserve would be targeted exclusively at this sector,” he said.