Premia affected by dispute

Methods of getting premia payments to farmers in seven parts of the county affected by the industrial dispute in An Post are being prepared by the Department of Agriculture.

Farmers are now due to get 2003 balancing payments under the Suckler Cow Premium and Special Beef Premium schemes. There will be no problem for 34,000 farmers who get payments by direct credit to their bank accounts, and Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh said he hoped to announce detailed arrangements to get payments to farmers hit by the An Post dispute. Any farmers interested in getting payments by direct credit to their bank can get forms from the Department’s District Livestock Office or the www.agriculture.gov.ie website.