Minister urged to apply for EU aid

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney was yesterday criticised for failing to apply for emergency aid from the EU’s Solidarity Fund to help alleviate the fodder crisis.

Almost half of EU member states have accessed the special fund designed primarily to assist farmers who suffer hardship as a result of exceptionally poor weather conditions.

Italy has received funding 11 times and Greece five times under the fund which was set up following the floods which affected Central Europe during the summer of 2002. It has an annual budget of €1bn.

Wealthy EU nations like Germany, Austria and Finland have not been slow to apply for aid.

In 2002, Austria was granted financial aid “for the purchase of forage and forage replacement products to agricultural and forestry enterprises having sustained damage due to the exceptional weather conditions.”

Britain has also received financial aid twice in the past decade, once for Northern Ireland.

The Irish Government, meanwhile, accessed the fund following severe flooding in 2009.

The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) yesterday called on Mr Coveney to apply for aid under the fund as a matter of urgency.

Farmers are becomingly increasingly frustrated at the lack of action coming from the minister, according to the ICMSA president John Comer.

“The situation all over the country is dire and having met with many dairy co-ops in recent weeks, we see the same story everywhere with debt levels and feed usage at record levels and debts being incurred that simply cannot be paid off this year.

“We’re also satisfied that while our banks are publicly stating that they will assist farmers, the reality is very different and farmers are being refused credit. The point is that even if the weather improves soon farmers will be dealing with the consequences for many years to come,” Mr Comer said.

He urged the minister to make an application to the EU Solidarity Fund to provide financial aid to farmers to get them out of the current disaster.

Mr Comer said the Farm Assist cuts introduced at the start of the month showed a total lack of understanding from the Government of the problems facing farmers and should be reversed. He added that farm inspections should also be suspended to remove one element of stress from farmers.

“Farmers, neighbours and co-ops must continue to support each other and provide surplus fodder to farmers in need, but farmers now want to see an immediate response from the minister and some sign that he appreciates the pressures on farmers and intends to provide them with some practical support,” he added.