Two new farm support schemes will aid dairy and pigmeat sectors

FARM groups have welcomed the release of two new farm support schemes — the €53m Dairy Equipment and the Rainwater Harvesting Scheme and the support for Private Storage for the Pigmeat Sector.

The amount of aid for the private storage for pigmeat is dependent on the type of product and period of storage with a maximum figure of €499 per tonne.

The dairy scheme will open for applications on March 1.

Both schemes are provided for in Ireland’s Rural Development Programme and are intended to remain open for applications until end-2013.

Macra na Feirme national president Michael Gowing also welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture that he will again allocate a quarter of the 1% increase in the national milk quota as part of the CAP Health Check to new entrants to dairying.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith, said: “The potential for growth in the dairy sector had been recognised in the Food Harvest 2020 report and that the Dairy Equipment Scheme would give practical support to the realisation of that potential.”

Some €45m is being made available for the Dairy Equipment Scheme, with a further €8m being provided for the Rainwater Harvesting Scheme.

The scheme will provide grant-aid for milking machine equipment and milk storage and cooling equipment, at a rate of 40% up to a maximum grant level.

The €8m Rainwater Harvesting Scheme will also provide grant-aid at a rate of 40% up to a maximum grant level for the installation of rainwater collection tanks and ancillary items.