While dairy farmers are enjoying receiving a €1,395 payment in the form of the Dairy Aid Package, pig farmers have to wait until the New Year to find out how the €1m allocated to them will be divided up.
Ireland qualified for €13.7m of EU funding and the Irish Government matched the amount, bringing the total to €27.4m.
The Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney announced the week before Christmas that the flat rate payment for each of the 18,000 dairy farmers of €1,395.
However, pig farmers will have to wait until the New Year before discovering how the Minister intends to allocated the €1m they are to receive.
“In September I presented a six-point plan to address the particularly acute situation in the dairy and pig sectors sector to the EU Commissioner and my EU ministerial colleagues.
“I was extremely pleased that the final decision at Council in September took significant account of Ireland’s requests including an improved PSA scheme for both SMP and pigmeat, which will include longer periods for storage as well as the improved aid rates, the re-introduction of PSA for cheese, a provision allowing 70% advance in the single farm payment, a provision of increased funding for promotion and the provision of almost €14m in targeted direct aid for farmers which can be matched nationally.”
“The €1m of the overall package, which is reserved for the pig sector, while the mechanism for disbursement of this element to be decided in the New Year,” the Minister said.