Eligible farmers to get payments in coming days

PAYMENTS to farmers under the 2011 disadvantaged areas scheme have commenced, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney announced at the ploughing championships.

He said the payments are worth €220 million and are payable to over 100,000 farmers.

“I am particularly pleased to say that this year’s payment is a full 100% payment, unlike last year, when an advance payment of 75% was made initially,” he said.

Mr Coveney said he expects a very significant proportion of eligible farmers will receive their payments in the coming days, although it will in reality take at least one week to issue such a large volume of payments. “However, there are a significant number who currently appear ineligible under the stocking provisions.”

Mr Coveney said these farmers can submit appropriate evidence to his department’s Portlaoise office, following which their payments will then be released.

Meanwhile, the Irish Farmers Association president John Bryan said the major budget and Common Agricultural Policy decisions in the coming months would be crucial for the future direction of the agricultural sector.

The decisions would also determine the sector’s ability to realise the potential for growth in food production.

John Bryan said farm production remains the cornerstone of the wider industry and is the basis for output of €24 billion supporting over 300,000 jobs and exports in excess of €8bn.

A study by UCD had shown that every €100 worth of agricultural output creates an additional €73 of output in the wider economy, an impact that is significantly higher than the average of all other manufacturing sectors, he said.

Mr Bryan said Budget 2012 must be seen by the Government as a priority to invest in a sector that is outstripping all others with its export performance this year.

He said Mr Coveney has displayed considerable energy and enthusiasm in his role.

However, he said the minister will be judged by farmers on his first real test, which is to maintain funding for all farm schemes, retain existing tax reliefs and improve competitiveness in Budget 2012 to support production and drive the sectors growth.

Teagasc announced at the championships that 1,011 students have enrolled in further level courses in agriculture and horticulture in its colleges this autumn

A total of 283 students are also studying its higher level courses linked to institutes of technology and universities. This brings the total number of students studying on Teagasc-run courses to 3,300.

Dr Tom Kelly, director of knowledge transfer in Teagasc, said the growing interest among young people to study agriculture and horticulture reflects the solid prospects for the agriculture sector into the future.

The Food Harvest 2020 report has outlined targets for the industry to grow, and having a young well educated new generation of farmers is central to achieving those ambitions.

Dr Kelly said dairy, beef, sheep and tillage farmers have all had a good year to date in 2011.

Buoyancy in milk and meat markets has helped to offset upward cost pressures in fuel and fertiliser prices, while cereal yields on tillage farms have been good this harvest.

Looking ahead, he advised dairy farmers to closely monitor their milk production with their individual quota to avoid a super levy situation next spring.