There is currently no funding set aside and no plans in place for a follow-on Calf Investment Scheme for next year, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has said.
Addressing the Seanad earlier this morning (Wednesday, November 18), the minister said no funding for another round of the scheme, or similar scheme, was allocated as part of Budget 2021, and there is no specific provision for follow-on funding for that purpose.
Minister McConalogue acknowledged that it had been “a very successful” scheme, and “contributed very significantly to calf welfare”.
As for this year’s scheme, Minister McConalogue said that there is sufficient funding still available to ensure all outstanding farmer payment claims are met.
The minister was giving an update on the Calf Investment Scheme on foot of a query from senator Tim Lombard, who called for another scheme, saying the level of farmer uptake has been “amazing”.
Afterwards, Lombard told AgriLand that he was disappointed to hear that there were no plans for a follow-on scheme.
2,500 farmers applied for the scheme this year. It probably would have been more if there was more time to apply. So I was somewhat shocked to hear there would be no scheme next year.
“The success of the scheme was down to the fact that it was a small scheme that did real practical things on-farm. It was a real handy scheme and farmer-friendly,” the Co. Cork senator argued.
“It was one of the best €4 million the department ever spent,” Lombard added.