The Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has reacted angrily to the details of a financial aid package for tillage farmers and horticulture growers.
Yesterday, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue and Minister of State for land use and biodiversity Pippa Hackett announced a €9.5 million package as part of the EU Agricultural Reserve.
“I specifically requested support from the EU Agriculture Reserve fund for the tillage and horticulture sectors in light of the significant challenges being faced in 2023,” Minister McConalogue said.
However, according to the IGGG, the aid announced is far from adequate, with the tillage farmer group saying its reaction is one of “shock and disbelief”.
“Tillage farmers are livid at such a paltry aid payment per acre considering the circumstances forced on them by the EU’s negligence on energy supply as a result of the Ukrainian invasion,” the IGGG said.
“Rocketing input costs to grow crops resulted, which left tillage farmers in a very vulnerable financial state for this past growing season,” the group added, citing increases in prices for fertiliser, sprays, diesel, and parts for machinery.
In a statement, the IGGG went on to highlight the impact that the weather has had on top of the input price situation.
“The weather has played havoc this year which compounded the plight of tillage farmers, leaving some with unharvestable crops now.”
“The cost of production on owned land for most commonly grown crop spring barley stands approximately at €550/ac this past season. What are those who have lost whole fields due to weather to think of an €11/ac aid payment. Where is the infrastructure to support them?” the IGGG asked.
The aid payment to tillage farmers is a flat rate of €28/ha on the area of oilseed rape, winter and spring oats, barley, wheat and rye declared under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) in 2023. This works out as just over €11/ac.
The maximum area that can be paid on is 100ha.
“It’s unfathomable that this is the best our government can offer, with a ceiling payment of €2,800. How about the hardship payments to pig producers, cattle finisher, etc, in the recent past, that we agree was badly needed for them?”
The IGGG said: “This government claims it wants to support Irish grain growers in order to increase the tillage acreage to achieve national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets set out in its own Climate Action Plan. An Irish tillage-only farm is practically carbon neutral.
“This aid payment will do very little to neutralise the deep concern of tillage farmers at present. The government wants us to be more climate friendly and greener. Every tillage acre lost to other sectors moves us in the opposite direction,” the group claimed.