The main grant payment schemes operated by my Department are funded through the EU Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund. Many of the schemes are demand-led, that is, the amount paid out depends on the number of applications made during the year. Consequently it is not possible at this stage to say what the outturn for this year will be. However, the total amount paid to individuals and to companies by my Department from the Guidance and Guarantee Fund in 1999 exceeded £1.4 billion. I expect that total payments this year will be of a similar order.
There are approximately 144,000 farmers and 2,000 traders in the country who may be eligible to apply for payment under the Department's schemes.