Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 June 2022
458. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is intended to introduce a scheme tin 2022 to incentivise farmers to grow catch crops such as kale and rapeseed as fodder in order to reduce the dependence on imported feedstuffs and to secure further fodder for Irish farmers this coming winter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33444/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that I established the National Fodder and Food Security Committee in March of this year. I tasked the Committee with preparing a multi-sectoral response to identify those issues that will arise for feed, fodder, fertiliser and other inputs, and to develop contingency plans and advice to assist farmers in managing their farm enterprises.
Central at that time was the announcement of the Targeted Intervention Package which identified three key pillars aimed at supporting Irish families arising both from events in Ukraine and wider global price volatility. The package seeks to incentivise the planting of additional tillage crops through the Tillage Incentive Scheme and introduces supports to encourage farmers to grow protein crops in 2022. Supporting domestic production of tillage and protein crops is a key mechanism in reducing Ireland’s reliance on imported feed materials.
The Package also included a Multi-Species Sward Initiative and a Red Clover Silage Measure to promote environmentally sustainable methods of farming, and thereby reduce nitrogen fertiliser usage, while maintaining forage yield.
I have also recently launched a €56 million Fodder Support Scheme. This Scheme aims to incentivise farmers, in particular drystock farmers, to grow more fodder (silage and/or hay) for the coming winter to ensure we do not have any animal welfare issue over the coming winter and next spring. The Scheme will have a payment rate of up to €100 per hectare and I hope there will be strong uptake from farmers.
The National Fodder and Food Security Committee will continue to advise me in the coming months on issues relating to the security of supply of fodder for the coming winter.
