Coveney confirms advance EU payments will be made to farmers

Advance payments under the 2012 Single Farm Payment scheme will go ahead next Tuesday as scheduled, said Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

More than 105,000 cases have been cleared for payment in the first run. The advance payments will continue to be issued until Nov 30, with balancing payments starting on Dec 1.

Mr Coveney said: “I am particularly pleased that these payments, worth well over half a billion euro, are going out on time. It will be recalled that, earlier this year, mindful of farmers’ cash flow, and particularly mindful of the very adverse weather endured, I approached the EU farm commissioner and got approval to make these payments earlier than provided for under the regulations.”