Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) grain committee chairman, Kieran McEvoy, has welcomed the €7 million tillage support funding announced by agriculture minister, Charlie McConalogue.
“The issue now is to ensure that all affected farmers get their applications submitted on time,” McEvoy added.
“The deadline for applications is Friday of this week, 24 November. IFA field staff are working closely with individual farmers to ensure they meet this target.”
McEvoy said that the decision taken by the minister came in the wake of intensive lobbying activity on the part of IFA.
“We wanted farmers who had attempted crop salvage operations in October to be recognised within the new measure. But this has turned out not to be the case,” he said
“However, the full detail of the schemes has yet to be worked through. We will be working closely with officials from the Department of Agriculture on this issue.”
Funding support
The support package will specifically target those farmers who have endured total crop losses in 2023.
Teagasc has confirmed that tillage advisors will be available help clients out with the completion of application forms for the support scheme.
A Teagasc spokesperson added: “The completion of application forms will not prove that difficult.
“However, our staff will be available to provide whatever advice Teagasc clients need to get the application process over the line, if requested.”
Meanwhile, the prospect of a dry week’s weather beckons.
“Drying ground conditions will provide growers will a much needed opportunity to get the maize and fodder beet harvests over the line,” McEvoy added.
Turning to the 2023 autumn planting season, McEvoy indicated that the window of opportunity to get winter barley crops into the ground had passed.
“But if we do get a spell of fine weather, then the prospect of getting winter wheat crops planted remains a possibility,” he said.