Outrage Over Funding Cuts - Farming | farming news | cattle prices | ifa

Outrage Over Funding Cuts

Written by Cian MacSweeny
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
President of the IFA, Padraig Walshe, has said the Budget drawn up by the Government will have a damaging impact on the incomes of 60,000 farmers. Mr. Walshe pointed out that the suckler welfare scheme is to fall short by 26 per cent of the original funding and the 14 per cent cut in Disadvantaged Areas payments will hit low-income farmers with limited resources very hard. The IFA President said his association calculated that the shortfall and cutbacks will result in over €400 million being taken from farm schemes for 2009. This includes- Farm Waste Management Scheme €325m - Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme €22m - Installation Aid €4m - Early Retirement Scheme €4m - Disadvantaged Areas €34m - Farm Investment Scheme €15m - Fallen Animals Scheme €14m. The IFA leader said the decision made by the Minister for Agriculture to axe the €80 on the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme from 2009 onwards is going to have a very negative impact on low-income suckler farmers. Mr. Walshe said, “based on the Department’s application figures, the Minister has effectively cut the €80 payment in half from next year.” Furthermore, Mr. Walshe said the cuts in funding will delay payment by up to 12 months. He labelled the cut of the Disadvantaged Area payments as an attack on the most vulnerable sector, mainly located in hill areas and said some farmers will see an income cut of €1,000 as a result. Mr. Walshe also said that Minister Smith’s decision to suspend the Installation Aid and the Early Retirement Schemes would damage confidence and sent a bad message to the industry. The IFA President said, “the shortfall for the Farm Waste Management Scheme from the end of December will threaten the future viability of 10,000 farmers whose investment work has been delayed due to factors outside their control.” “This decision, the continued exclusion of 5,000 farmers who applied for the Farm Improvement Scheme in 2007, and the continued suspension of that scheme for new applicants will prevent the modernisation and efficiency of agriculture," concluded Mr. Walshe.

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