Career prospects in nature

DISAPPOINTMENTS seem inevitable when Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith announces proposals within the next month for spending up to €24 million extra per year, available from single payment funds from 2010 onwards.

The IFA’s main demand is for a €20 per ewe payment to sheep farmers, which would cost up to €54m per year (IFA first looked for €30 per ewe, which would have cost €81m).

So the protesting sheep farmers who camped outside the Department of Agriculture must know that their opening bid will be immediately turned down, considering that only €6m-€7m of these windfall funds will be available in 2009, before they are topped up in 2010 with up to €17m per year of unspent single-farm payment funds.