Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has been urged to stop “hiding” and give assurance that farm payments will be issued on the same dates as last year.
The president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Tim Cullinan said the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has acted “unilaterally” in delaying farm payments.
Last month farmers were informed that Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) payments will be pushed back to October 17, while Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) payments will be made from October 24.
Warning that this delay will cause “havoc” later this year as bills fall due and there is nothing to meet repayments, Cullinan said the IFA will not accept any delay in payment dates.
Farm payments
The IFA’s National Council yesterday (Wednesday, April 19) unanimously rejected the plans by the DAFM to delay the payment dates for farm schemes, Cullinan said.
IFA deputy president, Brian Rushe said the minister must intervene now and agree that payment dates for 2023 are back on the table and that a solution is to be found.
Commenting that the DAFM seems to have “no concept” of the importance of these payments, the IFA deputy president said:
“Thousands of farmers have their businesses structured around receiving these payments on the dates they get them every year. Delaying them will affect bank repayments and cashflow to meet other bills.”
At a meeting of the Farmers’ Charter last month the DAFM proposed to push back scheme payments, which was met with sharp criticism from farm organisations hitting out at any such proposal.
The IFA president previously said the association will not attend any further Farmers’ Charter negotiations until meeting Minister McConalogue to discuss the issue and the overall charter negotiating process.