Beef farmers to get another €8.9m

Ireland: Farmers who suffered a premium reduction by the overshoot in the 2004 special beef quota scheme are to receive an additional €8.9 million in national funding, Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan has announced.

The extra funding is in addition to €8.6m in EU funding secured by the minister in July, following difficult negotiations with the EU Commission.

She said it brings total compensation for farmers affected by the overshoot to €17.5m. This means that payments of around €340m to beef farmers under the 2004 special beef premium scheme exceed those paid under the 2003 scheme by some €50m.