The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) have confirmed there have been 277 applications received for the Unharvested Crop Support Scheme.
The DAFM confirmed to Agriland that these 277 applications were “currently being processed” for the scheme, which was created to provide financial support to farmers in recognition of the losses incurred with unharvested cereal crops.
Financial assistance under the Unharvested Crop Support Scheme was made available from the €8 million once-off Ukraine related funding provided in Budget 2024 for the tillage sector.
The closing date for applications under this scheme was on Friday, November 24, with payments set to be made in January 2024.
The aid is available to all growers who were unable to harvest cereal crops due to wet weather in September and October 2023.
Eligible unharvested cereal crops are crops of barley, oats, wheat and rye declared by the applicant on their 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application, that remain unharvested on the closing date for applications under this scheme.
A payment rate of €1,000/ha will apply. The minimum eligible area for payment is 2/ha and the maximum eligible area for payment is 20/ha.
John Murphy, vice-chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) grain committee told Agriland that the scheme was “welcome” and “positive” for the tillage sector, but added that there were several farmers that would be negatively impacted by the maximum eligible area for payment under the scheme.
Murphy said there are farmers that were unable to harvest crops on an area that was more than the 20ha maximum area for payment, and added that he hoped the department could support these specific farmers.
“We recognise that it is good support for the tillage sector and the minister has supported it well in that sense,” Murphy said.
Agriland understands that there are currently DAFM ground inspections underway for applicants for the Unharvested Crop Support Scheme.