Farming special - Day 2: Coveney ‘pleased’ as €149m disadvantaged area payments begin

Payments under this year’s disadvantaged areas scheme started issuing on schedule yesterday just as Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney visited the national ploughing championships.

“I am particularly pleased to see that these payments, worth some €149m, are issuing on target, particularly given the significance of direct aid payments to individual farmers and the wider rural community.

“I expect in the region of 71,500 eligible farmers will receive their payments in the coming days, although it will in reality take at least one week to issue such a large volume of payments.