Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has again ruled out allowing more time to spread lime under the National Liming Programme after the “generous extension” already granted.
The minister made the comment following a question from Fine Gael Mayo TD Michael Ring, who expressed concern that weather conditions were making liming difficult on marginal land.
Ring asked the minister if he would extend the deadline for the spreading of lime under the programme beyond March 31.
In early October, the minister announced flexibility under the scheme which allowed farmers until March 31 this year to spread the lime they had purchased under the scheme and for which they had submitted receipts to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The previous date had been October 31 last year.
In response to Ring’s question, Minister McConalogue said that applicants were given “significantly more time to spread their approved quantity of lime”.
“This 5-month extension to the spreading deadline was made in light of the challenging weather conditions in 2023,” he said.
The minister called on farmers who have not spread their approved quantity of lime to do so “at the earliest opportunity”, and no later than March 31, if they wish to qualify for the payments under the scheme.
“The National Liming Programme was supported as a once-off measure funded by the national exchequer for 2023. Given the generous extension of time already granted, coupled with the need to conclude outstanding payments as soon as possible, I do not intend to make any further extension to the spreading deadline of March 31, 2024,” Minister McConalogue said.
Calls for liming extension
This is not the first time that there has been calls for an extension to the liming deadline under the National Liming Programme.
Late last year, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) called for an extension until July.
Speaking at the time, the ICMSA’s then-deputy president (now president) Denis Drennan welcomed the extension to March, but warned that the “reality for farmers in particularly wetter parts of Ireland is that a lot of land targeted for lime spreading will probably not dry out sufficiently before April or May next year”.
“At that stage, the land will have been closed off for first cut silage.
“The liming programme is a welcome initiative, and the minister should ensure that its benefit is maximised. That is why [we think] that forcing farmers to spread lime in unsuitable conditions between now and next March would not be sensible,” Drennan had said.