asked the Minister for Agriculture the steps he proposes to take to discourage farmers with winter fodder problems from disposing of cattle breeding stock.
Written Answers. - Livestock Winter Fodder.
135.
I have already introduced a range of measures to assist farmers who were faced with the problem of providing sufficient winter fodder for their livestock.
In August I launched the nitrogen subsidy scheme, which was designed to encourage farmers to spread nitrogen at that time so as to induce a late growth of grass, and the first time silage-making subsidy scheme, which is aimed at encouraging the production of silage on farms where it had not been made previously. The estimated cost of these schemes was £2.5 million. The response under both schemes has been most encouraging and I have no doubt but that they have made a considerable contribution to easing the fodder position for many farmers.
In September I introduced the Shannon Valley flood scheme the object of which is to help farmers who, as a result of the flooding, were faced with serious winter fodder problems. This scheme is estimated to cost £1 million.
I have also secured the agreement of the EC Commission to provide 125,000 tonnes of intervention grain at a specially reduced price to help towards meeting the fodder needs. In addition, the Government have agreed to provide £14 million to assist farmers with serious fodder problems. Plans for utilising this sum in the best interests of the farmers who were hard hit are at present being worked out and I hope to be in a position shortly to announce details of the arrangements to be implemented in this regard and in regard to the EC grain.