Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
2154. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the terms of reference for the national fodder and food security committee; the recommendations of same; the timeframe for implementation of the support packages for farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44045/22]
View answerI established the National Fodder and Food Security Committee (NFFSC) in March 2022 following consultation with the main farming organisations and Teagasc in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
The terms of reference for the NFFSC are;
- To identify issues facing the farming and agri-food sectors in the short and medium term.
- To put a plan in place to minimise the impact of inflated input costs and supply shortages.
- To communicate this plan to the sectors.
- To monitor and review this plan regularly so that remedial action can be taken as required.
- Committee members to meet regularly under the direction of the chairman.
- The outcome of any deliberations at these meetings are communicated by the secretariat (Teagasc) to the stakeholder group including my Department under the direction of the chairman.
- The committee reports directly to me (Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine).
The recommendations of the NFFSC following consultation were to:
Evaluate proposals to address existing and future pressures faced by the intensive farming sectors, namely the pig and poultry producers;
- Examine fuel security, in the context of both cost and supply;
- Ensure sufficient quantity of good quality silage is produced to avoid fodder shortages during the winter period. This can be achieved through clear communications to farmers regarding the importance of early application of fertiliser (in March / April) and to plan ahead to ensure enough fodder will be available for the winter period;
- Incentives to be provided to support the sowing of new crops;
- Prepare and maintain an up-to-date inventory of feed, fodder, and fertiliser for the country;
- Communicate to media outlets that they must be mindful to create awareness and avoid creating panic;
- Income projections across all farming sectors to be updated by Teagasc Economics teams
All of these recommendations have been or are being acted upon, and in this context I have launched a suite of support measures. These measures include:
The Tillage Incentive Scheme was announced on 22nd March to incentivise farmers to increase their eligible tillage crops in 2022 and reduce dependence on imported feed material. A budget of €10 million was allocated for this scheme.
The guaranteed payment of €300 per hectare under the Protein Aid Scheme and the Protein / Cereal Mix (50:50) Crop Scheme was launched to incentivise an increase in protein crops in 2022 and to reduce dependency on imported feed material.
Funding was provided for Multi-Species Sward and Red Clover Silage schemes. This will support the establishment of approx. 12,000 hectares multi-species sward and 4,000 hectares of red clover silage mix.
The Fodder Support Scheme, with a budget of €56 million, was launched to incentivise farmers to grow sufficient grass and conserve fodder for the winter months. Applications for this scheme opened on 17th June and closed on 2nd August. Hay / silage had to be be cut and conserved by 5th September.
Payments in relation to all of these support schemes will issue to farmers in late November / December period.
I remain committed to standing by our farm families during this time of crisis and will continue to monitor the situation.
