Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 April 2023
96. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will advise what measures will be taken at national and EU levels to provide support around rising farm input costs and increased fertiliser costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18493/23]
View answerI am acutely aware of the impact rising input costs has on farmers, their families and businesses. This is a period of challenge and uncertainty for our farm families and I have been working proactively to support them through this period.
The rise in fertiliser prices over the past 18 months has been significant. Whilst prices have moderated in recent weeks from their peak of last year, they still remain historically high.
There are a number of factors at play in the market including energy prices, increased global demand particularly from the big grain-producing countries, controls on fertiliser exports from large fertiliser producing countries, increased transport costs, EU-imposed tariffs and duties on certain Third Country imports and the impact of the sanctions regime arising from the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia are all impacting on fertiliser prices for our farmers.
To support farmers in terms of advice, I set up a National Fodder and Feed Security Committee to bring all stakeholders together and ensure appropriate guidance was provided to farmers. This group met last week in Teagasc Oakpark with a specific focus on fertilisers and with a good representation from the fertiliser industry, merchants, farm representatives, the banking institutions etc. Teagasc has also been active in providing advice to farmers.
Over the course of the past year, I announced a series of targeted interventions for farmers to offset the rise in fertiliser price including support to increase the production of native grain from the tillage sector as well as a relaunched multispecies sward and red clover initiative for 2023 and has a total budget allocation of over €12 million to support Irish farmers.
In addition, I launched a €56 million Fodder Support Scheme in June 2022 to which over 70,000 farmers applied. Farm families received up to €1,000 each to support them to save fodder. In order to continue this support for farm families, an advance payment under the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme issued last December to the order of €30 million. The balance of this payment will be made this year.
We continue to actively engage with the sector and monitor the situation over the period ahead. I will continue to support our farm families and their businesses in the time ahead.
