Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 31 March 2022
450. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the plan his Department is undertaking to improve Ireland's dependency on grain imports for the production of animal feed. [17151/22]
View answerI announced a Targeted Intervention Package on 22nd March framed around three pillars to support Irish farming families arising both from events in Ukraine and wider global price volatility.
The total package is projected to cost in the region of €12.2 million. The package seeks to incentivise the planting of additional tillage crops for this coming planting season through the Tillage Incentive Scheme and introduces supports to encourage farmers to grow protein crops in 2022. Supporting domestic production of tillage and protein crops will reduce Ireland’s reliance on imported feed materials.
Finally, the package includes a Multi-Species Sward Scheme, that includes support for red clover, to promote environmentally sustainable methods of farming, and thereby greatly reduce nitrogen fertiliser, while maintaining forage yields.
The financial supports outlined will assist farmers in offsetting the significant increases in farm inputs experienced by farmers presently and in assisting to ensure sufficient fodder for winter 2022.
My Department continues to monitor the evolving situation and engages regularly with stakeholders on issues impacting them.
