Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
818. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his proposals to provide additional supports to farmers in respect of increased input costs, including in fuel, feed, fertiliser and energy. [27649/22]
View answerIn the context of the Ukrainian crisis, significant implications are being seen across all sectors, including the agri-food sector. Supporting farm families at this time is the number one priority for me and the Department.
Within my Department, I established a Rapid Response Team to actively monitor the impacts on agri-food supply chains and to contribute to the whole of Government response to this crisis. I also established the National Fodder and Food Security Committee headed by Teagasc and tasked it to prepare an industry response to the emerging crisis in feed, fodder, fertiliser and other inputs, and to develop contingency plans and advice to assist farmers in managing their farm enterprises.
At present, there appeats to be sufficient supplies of fertiliser and animal feed although price remains a serious concern. The Government has introduced a temporary reduction in excise duty on fuels (including a reduction of the excise on agricultural diesel to nil); assistance on the price of electricity & gas; and a targeted and temporary grant scheme for hauliers, all of which will be of some assistance to farmers and the agri-food sector.
I have announced a number of measures worth €35 million over the past three months to assist the agriculture sector including:
- €20 million in two packages for the pig sector,
- €12 million for the tillage sector
- €3 million for the horticulture sector
These targeted measures will help Irish farmers at a time of escalating costs and build resilience against the expected impact of the situation in Ukraine.
Earlier this month, I brought a Memo for Information to Government on measures aimed to assist cattle and sheep farmers to produce fodder (silage and/or hay) during 2022 to prevent a Fodder crisis during the coming winter. My Department is continuing to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the detail of the scheme.
I continue to engage with all our stakeholders and continue to work across Government, and with our European partners, to respond to this crisis, using all of the tools at our disposal. I am taking a very proactive approach to the crisis in Ukraine. We must protect our farm families and their businesses through this period of significant upheaval.
