No Irish-based companies have applied to date for the EU private storage scheme for pigmeat, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed.
The measure was announced last month by the European Commission in a bid to ease pressure on pigmeat markets.
The scheme, which opened for applications on March 25, 2022, allows operators to apply for aid to cover part of the storage costs of pigmeat.
There is a stipulation that the produce is kept out of the market for a minimum of two months, and up to maximum five months.
The scheme will remain open for applications until Friday (April 29).
Pigmeat
The European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said that storage aid had been provided for almost 33,500t of pigmeat from 16 member states by April 20.
“This aid has helped to stabilise markets and support farmers during the current challenges,” the commissioner outlined on Twitter.
The commissioner said that the Netherlands accounted for 29% of the storage aid, followed by Denmark with 23%; Spain (19%); Germany (4%); and Poland (4%).
Over 19,000t of pigmeat in the scheme was being stored for two months with 9,630t being kept for three months.
DAFM said that following the publication of the EU Commission regulation allowing for the measure it published a trader notice outlining application requirements on its website.
“To date, no applications for aid for private storage of pigmeat has been received in respect of companies based in Ireland,” a department spokesperson said.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Ulster/north Leinster regional chair Frank Brady, who is also a pig farmer, previously told Agriland that private storage aid would only push the issues facing the sector “down the road”.
He believed that the only winner from such an arrangement would be the people storing the pork who would stand to make money when prices improve.