The Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has confirmed that it is “confident” that a mechanism for financial support will be put in place for farmers unable to harvest crops this year, due to disruptive weather conditions.
This is following the groups recent meeting with the Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and senior officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
IGGG stated that it’s main focus during the meeting was to “ensure” that those hit the hardest by this year’s harvest got priority support, while also pushing the case for tillage farmers.
The call follows immense amounts of rainfall nationwide, following Storm Babet, causing significant damage to farm land.
A weather advisory for further heavy rainfall has also been issued by Met Éireann for the coming days ahead of Storm Ciarán.
“While no amount of support will compensate actually harvesting a crop we are expecting that the package put together will go some way to compensate for the loss of income,” IGGG stated.
IGGG on further supports
The IGGG has also stated that the issue of crop insurance needs to be revisited, as Met Eireann confirmed that weather patterns have changed.
The IGGG recently put forward a case to apply a carbon tax to imports of grain or feedstuffs from outside the EU, in a step to recognise the low carbon footprint of native Irish grain and pulses.
The group said the tax collected could be distributed to “active Irish tillage farmers”, in the form of an eco/enviro programme to help achieve climate targets.
It also requested that all organic manures, such as poultry litter, not just slurry be included in government proposals for a 70% grant in Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS 3) for manure storage.
Details of a fodder support scheme for farmers impacted by flooding along the Shannon Callows this summer is currently being put in place after protests in the area.