Fears small farms will lose out on €45m grant
He said smaller farmers have invested heavily in preparation for significant expansion, and will need larger dairy equipment and tanks, because of expectations that milk collections will be less frequent.
EU Commission approval was received earlier this year for the scheme, which will provide 40% grant aid for milking machine and cooling equipment, and milk storage.
The Department of Agriculture is believed to be considering minimum production levels for qualifying farmers, which could rule out smaller farms, especially if they only have dairy cattle.
“As chairman of the National Milk Rights group, I and our members have been shell-shocked by this latest discrimination against vulnerable family farms,” said Mr Shine.
“We are fighting against the discriminatory element of the scheme and have already made arrangements to meet the Department of Agriculture and to visit Brussels next week to discuss the matter.”
He said smaller dairy farmers have already been discriminated against in the distribution of increases in national milk quota.
Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith has confirmed that the €45m dairy equipment and the €8m rainwater harvesting schemes will open for applications on Tuesday, March 1.
Both schemes are provided for in Ireland’s Rural Development Programme and are intended to remain open for applications until the end of 2013.
The schemes are part of a €113m targeted scheme for on-farm investment to support a number of specific categories of farmers and focused on supporting productive investment.
Mr Smith said: “The potential for growth in the dairy sector had been recognised in the Food Harvest 2020 report, and the dairy equipment scheme will give practical support to the realisation of that potential. This scheme will be of particular benefit to young dairy farmers making the necessary investment to adjust to expanding dairy opportunities and will promote the operation of cost-effective commercial operations by young farmers.”
The rainwater harvesting scheme will also provide grant-aid at a standard grant-rate of 40% up to a set maximum grant level for the installation of rainwater collection tanks and ancillary items. “This scheme will reduce water costs on farms, and I would urge those farmers who currently have a high level of water usage on their farms to examine closely the options for grant-aid which will be available under the scheme,” said Mr Smith.
Under the terms of both schemes, selection criteria will be applied in order to determine those applications which will proceed to the approval stage.
The Minister also advised farmers that it was a standard condition of all on-farm investment schemes that only work which commences after the date of issue of written approval by his Department is eligible for grant-aid. Mr Smith said applications for both schemes will be available on the www.agriculture.gov.ie website from March 1.
