Vol. 496 No. 5
23 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the proposals, if any, he has to alleviate the fodder crisis suffered by farmers outside the area designated by him; his views on whether payment of £300 to each farmer is adequate to alleviate the damage done; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23083/98]
Financial assistance under the fodder scheme is being made available to all sheep farmers with mountain grazings, suckler cow producers and small dairy farmers, with milk quotas of less than 35,000 gallons, in the worst affected areas in counties Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. These areas were identified as the worst affected in a Teagasc survey completed in September and the aim of the scheme is to give immediate help to farmers who were badly affected by the fodder crisis. For this purpose a sum of £10 million is being provided with a ceiling of £300 per farmer.
While some farms outside the designated areas have fodder difficulties, in general they are located in areas where access to fodder in the general geographical area is more readily available. Accordingly, it is not planned that such farms will be included in the scheme.
