The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said that future government funding towards the cost of liming must mirror the level of interest from farmers.
The comments follow an announcement by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue that the budget for the new National Liming Programme has been doubled from €8 million to €16 million.
The increased funding means that each eligible applicant to the 2023 programme will get paid for up to 40t of lime, at a rate of €16/t.
Liming
IFA Rural Development chair Michael Biggins said that an increased liming budget is an important move for climate action.
He acknowledged a commitment from government that the budget will be reviewed again if needed.
“There’s huge focus on farmers regarding the climate challenge. However, what isn’t acknowledged is the significant ambition among farmers to improve on-farm efficiencies and their environmental footprint,” he said.
Biggins said that over 41,000 farmers applied for the National Liming Programme because they want to improve their soil fertility and thereby reduce chemical fertiliser usage.
“The minister must now ensure all valid applications for the liming programme are accommodated, with full payment made on strength of purchase receipts received.
“IFA has pressed for the need for increased funding for the National Liming Programme for some time.
“It was one of our pre-budget priorities when we met the department in recent weeks. Future funding should reflect the enormous interest in the scheme,” he said.
All eligible applicants to the programme are expected to received a letter of approval from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) shortly which will detail their eligible tonnage of lime.