Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2023
617. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of fodder, hay or silage produced under the fodder support scheme in 2022 and to date in 2023; the percentage of fodder that the scheme contributed to overall fodder supplies in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24465/23]
View answerFollowing the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, the Deputy will be aware that on the 15th June 2022, I announced the launch of the €56 million Fodder Support Scheme. The aim of the scheme was to incentivise farmers, in particular drystock farmers, to grow more fodder (silage and/or hay) to ensure Ireland does not have any animal welfare issues over the 2022 winter and 2023 spring.
Building on the success of the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme, on the 2nd November 2022, I launched the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme.
The 2023 Fodder Support Scheme is a continuance of the 2022 Scheme and only successful applicants for the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme were eligible to apply for the 2023 Scheme, which closed at midnight on the 5th of December 2022.
Although applicants may declare a greater number of hectares on which they intend to cut fodder (silage and/or hay), the maximum amount payable under either the 2022 and/or the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme is 10 hectares per applicant. The table below details the number of declared and paid hectares for successful applicants in both the 2022 and 2023 Fodder Support Scheme as of 18th May 2023.
Applicants are not required to record data on the volume of fodder produced per hectare applied for under the Fodder Support Scheme.
|
Scheme |
Declared Hectares |
Paid Hectares |
|
2022 Fodder Support Scheme |
706,361.90 |
552,668.00 |
|
2023 Fodder Support Scheme |
671,017.50 |
525,872.10 |
