Joe Flaherty
Question:261. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will look at opening the fodder scheme 2023 to new entrants in view of recent adverse weather (details supplied). [51675/23]
View answerThursday, 23 November 2023
Questions (261)
Written answers
Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, the Deputy will be aware that on 15 June 2022, I announced the launch of the €56 million Fodder Support Scheme. The aim of the scheme was to incentivise farmers to grow more fodder.
Building on the success of the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme, on 2 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.
The re-opening of the scheme in July 2023 was to facilitate existing Fodder Support Scheme 2023 applicants to amend downwards the area they entered for the Fodder Support Scheme 2023 in November/December 2022 to reflect the land the participant has claimed on their 2023 BISS application if required. The amendment facility closed on the 12 September 2023.
I have continued to monitor the situation around the price of agricultural inputs throughout 2023, but I have no plans to re-open the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme to new applicants. I intend to commence balancing payments to 2023 Fodder Support Scheme participants in the coming weeks.
Separately, the Deputy will be aware that I have recently announced supports such as the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme and Unharvested Crop Support Scheme which will target farmers impacted by exceptional flooding in 2023.