Beef and sheep farmers gain €35m in schemes

Beef and sheep farmers have begun to receive payments under the €35m Beef Genomics Scheme and the Grassland Sheep Scheme.

Payments worth €15m under the 2014 Grassland Sheep Scheme began issuing to the farmers concerned from this morning. More than €20m will be paid out to almost 30,000 suckler farmers under the Beef Genomics Scheme.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney described the payments as a timely boost for farmers.