Grain crisis fund would be ‘easy to police‘
After the government was defeated last week in an 87 to 49 vote on a Fianna Fail-proposed €4.5m crisis fund for an estimated 300 farmers who lost up to 50% of their crops due to bad harvest weather, Co Cork grower Jim O’Regan said a crisis fund can be easily policed.
In last week’s Dail debate, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed warned of the complexities of how to compensate farmers.
But Mr O’Regan said it can be policed through the farmer’s herd number and crop plot number which are reported to the Department of Agriculture, setting out what they grow and how many acres. Farmers seeking aid could also be asked for seed and chemical invoices, for cross-check against acreages.
Co-op merchant grain statements would complete the evidence needed, in seeking compensation for crops salvaged after September 12 (when harvesting had finished in most of the country, except for the west coast and south Cork).
O’Regan was one of the southern farmers who came together last year to seek inclusion of tillage in the TAMS grant scheme, and to seek aid for growers first hit by 2015 winter storms that burned crops, and for growers who ended up salvaging crops for as little as €70-90 per tonne, with south west Cork badly hit. Several thousands acres of straw were lost.
They lobbied public representatives and co-op leaders throughout the autumn and winter, seeking help for growers.
They also called for greater efforts to add value to cereals, citing the €5 billion Scotch whisky industry as an example.
