Tillage farmers, who suffered losses during the 2016 harvest, have hours left to complete their applications for the 2017 Weather Related Crop Loss Support Measure.
The support measure – otherwise know as the tillage crisis fund – will close for applications today, August 25.
It was introduced in response to the period of protracted wet weather in September 2016. It aims to provide financial assistance to farmers in approved cases as a contribution towards the direct losses arising from damage to spring barley, spring wheat, spring oats and spring oilseed rape.
Payments to affected tillage farmers will be capped at a maximum of €10,500. This breaks down to a payment of €300/ha – up to 35ha – for farmers who lost in excess of 50% of their crops in 2016.
Meanwhile, farmers who lost between 30% and 50% of their crops last year will have their payments capped at €7,000. This equates to a payment of €200/ha up to 35ha. The minimum qualifying area of eligible crops is 3ha.
Who will be eligible?
Commercial cereal growers who experienced greater than 30% loss in tonnes of grain sold, as a result of the wet harvest conditions in September 2016, are encouraged to apply to the scheme.
Farmers who lost spring wheat, spring barley, spring oats and spring oilseed rape are eligible to apply; the measure will only cover crops not covered by an applicant’s insurance.
Financial aid will only be paid where losses relate to off-farm sales – incidental on-farm use of up to 20% of the harvested crop will not affect eligibility, according to the Department of Agriculture.
But a grower is not eligible for support under the measure where on-farm use accounted for greater than 20% of the harvested crop in 2016.
If the number of eligible applications received exceeds the total budget allocated for the measure, reduced payments on a linear basis will be applied as appropriate, the department added.
Application forms are available from the Department of Agriculture’s website.