I have actively monitored the evolving situation in recent weeks arising from unusual weather patterns and, as set out below, have not been slow in taking steps not only to mitigate its immediate effects insofar as possible but also to avoid difficulties into the future.
In terms of the imported fodder transport scheme, following consultation with Met Eireann, co-ops, the farming organisations and Teagasc, and based on the advice of officials working on the ground, I took the decision to allow a further two weeks for fodder to be imported into the country with a doubling of the transport subsidy fund. Fodder eligible under the scheme and delivered into the country will be covered up to next Friday 24 May. I have also decided, as an exceptional measure, that any definite purchases that have been placed by that date but are delivered during the following week will be included under the scheme.
By the end of the week some 2,000 loads of imported fodder, amounting to about 30,000 tonnes, will have benefitted from my Department’s contribution to these transport costs. My Department will continue to monitor the situation on a day by day basis. This remains a very challenging situation for farmers and the extension to 24 May will allow both farmers and Co Ops to have some certainty around the supply of fodder over the coming weeks.
The animal welfare hotline that I established remains open for those with emergency situations or who need information about where to source fodder, at Lo-call 1850 21 19 90. The majority of calls received are enquiring about fodder availability and these callers are being referred to co-ops in their respective areas. Those farmers with animal welfare issues are being referred to the DVOs where there are systems in place to deal with them on a case by case basis.
It is also important that while continuing to focus on the emergency fodder position in the short term, farmers should also focus on growing and conserving fodder for next winter’s needs. We need to maximise production in the coming period and I have asked Teagasc to prioritise this aspect in their advisory campaigns over the summer months.
Looking forward, it is clear that the main cut of silage will be delayed this year and as a consequence we need to look at the potential for the growing of additional fodder later into the season. In this regard I and my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr Phil Hogan, T.D., have announced a temporary and targeted adjustment of two provisions of the Nitrates Regulations to support additional fodder production on Irish farms in the coming months.
The adjustments involve:
- A discounting of some concentrate feeding when calculating the overall level of phosphorus allowed on grassland farms in 2013 and 2014; and
- an extension of two weeks to the period during with chemical fertiliser can be applied to grassland.
In order to ensure sufficient allowance of phosphorus for grassland application this year and 2014, some meal feeding in 2012 and 2013 will be discounted. The period during which chemical fertiliser can be applied to land this year has been extended by two weeks up to and including 30 September 2013. These measures will provide every opportunity to farmers to maximise grass growth and conservation into next Autumn. I believe that these pro-active measures will assist considerably in assisting farmers in avoiding difficulties next winter and thereafter.
In terms of the direct support schemes, mindful of ongoing difficulties, I decided that a formal request should again be made to the EU Commission seeking agreement to pay an advance from 16 October of the 2013 Single Farm Payment which, being the first day of the new EU financial year is the earliest potential payment date and almost two months ahead of the standard timeline.
My Department will also make every effort to ensure that payments under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commence as early as possible in September, while taking into account of the need to adhere to the requirement in the governing EU regulation, which provides that all eligibility checks must be finalised before full payments can commence.
In terms of other supports, to date, over 29,300 of the remaining 30,200 REPS 4 participants have been paid a total of nearly €170m in respect of the 2012 application period, with almost €35m of this issuing in 2013. A further €1m issued in the past week to REPS 4 farmers. Payments to the final 900 query cases are ongoing and are expected to be finalised shortly.
Following the issue of over 2,000 AEOS payments valued at approximately €3m over the last two weeks, a further €700,000 will issue to nearly 300 more farmers in the next week. This will bring the total paid under AEOS 1 and 2 applicants to over €40m in respect of the 2012 application period, €15m of which issued in 2013 alone.
It will be clear, therefore that my Department has been playing its full part in assisting in the current difficult situation and in taking steps to enable farmers to avoid problems into the future.
