Budget measures for farmers facing soaring costs
Among the headline announcements for farmers was news that they would be eligible for support which will cover up to 40% of the increases to gas and electricity bills.
Farmers heard in this week's Budget announcement that agriculture is “arguably the most important sector” to our rural economy, and with €2.14bn allocated for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for 2023, that much is clear.
It’s an increase of €283m (or 15% on the 2022 allocation), but when you consider the scale of the challenge in terms of achieving the 25% reduction in carbon emissions, coupled with the cost of inflation, the extra money might not be worth as much to the industry as it first appears.
