Creed: €150m set aside for farm loans

With no prospect seen of an EU rescue package for tillage farmers, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed says he has ringfenced part of the €150m cheap loan scheme, expected in late January, for the non-livestock sector, including tillage.

He said he will ensure each sector will receive the appropriate amount of the loan scheme.

The minister said that additional funding for loans for livestock sectors, and a parallel loan scheme for all other farmers, particularly those involved in tillage and horticulture, is made possible by diverting €13.9m of savings identified in 2016 spending by his department.