Early farm payments to ease weather woes

THE advance issuing of this year’s single farm payments began yesterday in an attempt to ease the difficulties faced by farmers because of the wet weather.

Issuing of €532 million in payments to 112,500 farmers, representing 90% of applicants, started some six weeks earlier than the normal date. Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith, who announced the move, said he was thankful for the prompt and positive response by European Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel and her officials to his request for an advance payment.

“The earlier payment will be of much assistance to farmers’ cash-flow needs at this time,” he said.