Budget effect on agriculture to be ‘modest’

Budgetary constraints have led to a “modest” fall in his department’s spend in 2014, said Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

He also had savings from some agriculture schemes “coming to the end of their natural life” — and from continuing reductions in departmental administrative costs.

“Maintaining the current level of payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is a key priority for which I have allocated €195m in 2014 and I have also increased the Grassland Sheep Scheme to €15m in 2014,” said Mr Coveney. However, the budget leaves 13,000 farmers finishing REPS4 without agri-environment scheme payments — a serious blow, according to IFA. Farmers operating with environmental restrictions need an interim scheme until CAP reform is introduced in 2015, and a new scheme then for 50,000 farmers, said IFA president John Bryan.