€1.5bn direct payments to be paid to farmers before end of this year

DIRECT payments valued at €1.5 billion will be made to farmers between now and the end of this year, Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith announced yesterday.

The payments will be made under the 2010 disadvantaged areas scheme, the 2010 single payment scheme, and the grassland sheep scheme.

Mr Smith said his priority was to maximise the cash flow to farmers between now and Christmas.