IFA says capital funding allocation is totally inadequate for expansion

IFA president John Bryan has said that the capital funding allocation for agriculture contained in the Government’s Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-16 Framework is totally inadequate for the expansion plans of the sector.

“The funding allocation of €168 million per annum for capital expenditure in agriculture will be insuffic- ient for the investment needed to achieve the growth targets of Food Harvest 2020,”he said.

IFA estimates that a capital programme of €200m in 2012 is necessary to fund on-farm and processing investment, the forestry programme and the investment programmes in the state agencies.