In an initial response to the Budget, IFA President Padraig Walshe stated that, at a time when farm income has fallen by 30%, the introduction of a Carbon Tax and the lack of clarity on adequate funding for a new REPS scheme must be addressed if farm incomes are not to be hit further in 2010. Commenting on the allocation for REPS, he stated “this is a vital support scheme for 60,000 farmers and the Minister for Agriculture must find within his budget adequate resources that delivers equivalent support to those farmers exiting REPS 3 in 2010. Continued

Budget Recognition That Further Cuts to Farming Are Not Sustainable The president of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) Malcolm Thompson has said that farmers will be relieved that the government has realised that further cuts to agriculture are not sustainable. “To date agriculture has taken an 18.5% cut in supports and any further reductions would have devastated the industry.” Mr Thompson particularly welcomed the fact that the government recognises that the new agri-environment scheme must have an allocation of at least €5,000 per farmer to be meaningful. Continued

The most important job that farmers should do in the month of December is to plan their cash flow for 2010. Addressing a meeting of the Teagasc Authority, Dr Tom Kelly, Teagasc financial specialist urged farmers to act now and plan their finances for 2010. He said: ”Farmers need to prepare a budget for the next twelve months detailing the main flows of cash into and out of the farm business. Profitability in all farm enterprises is low and 2009 has been a difficult income year for most farmers. All costs must be controlled including family living expenses and debt repayments. Continued

The Minister Brendan Smith has recently outlined two cases of over claim on farmers Single Farm Payments caught out by the satellite view of their farm. The Penalty is severe and in the majority of cases the farmer is un aware of any overclaim. It is very easy to see any current data that the Department of Agriculture hold on your business, it is all available on line at www.ag food.ie

irish milk suppliers are to receive €11.5m from the €280m emergency aid package for the dairy sector, which was announced by the EU Commission in October. Clearance for the payments was given by member states last week and the money will be distributed according to production during the 2008/09 quota year. The cash must be paid before the end of June next year. It equates to a top-up of 0.25c/l for all milk supplied, within quota from April 2008 to March of this year. For a farmer who delivered 300,000 litres, the payment is €750. As the aid package is being paid out according to each state's share of overall EU milk production, France and Germany are the big winners. French farmers will share in a €51.13m fund, Germany is to receive €61.2m, British farmers €29.3m and Italy €23m. The Dutch fund is €24.6m, while Danish farmers will receive €9.86m. 

 Declan O'Brien

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith TD, today announced that he has approved the allocation of milk quota to a major research project aimed at the development of profitable, expanding dairy farms as the sector moves towards quota abolition. The project is being undertaken by Teagasc's Moorepark Dairy Production Research Centre in collaboration with Glanbia, the Agricultural Trust and AIB Bank. Minister Smith said that the project will "generate valuable information on low cost, efficient milk production that will be made available to all dairy farmers through Teagasc's advisory service, and will help them to adjust to the new trading environment over the coming years. The dissemination of the relevant information and data, in a timely manner, to dairy farmers is of the utmost importance." Commenting in the course of a visit to one of the three farms involved in the project, the Minister said: "This is a very timely and strategically important initiative. It exemplifies the forward-looking approach that all of us with an interest in the long-term future of the dairy sector now need to adopt. Continued

Total cereal production fell by a staggering 520,000t this year, Teagasc's crop report has confirmed. Overall production was 1.86m tonnes this year, compared to 2.38m tonnes for 2008 — a fall of 22pc. With the exception of winter barley, yields were below average for all main crops during this year's harvest. Teagasc tillage specialist Jim O'Mahony said this reflected the difficult growing and harvesting conditions this year. Continued

Falling commodity prices, unfavourable exchange rates and poor weather have combined to push Irish farm incomes down by over 30%, according to first official estimates from Ireland's Central Statistics Office in Cork. The figures, published on Monday (7 December) are in line with previous estimates from the Irish Farmers Association and confirm the devastating year the Irish farming sector has been facing. The CSO incomes data reveal that the value of all farm output has dropped 19% in 2009 to just €4.7bn (£4.25bn), with all sectors suffering to some extent. Worst affected was the country's cereals sector, where output dropped by 52% in value to €96m (£86m). This was closely followed by dairy, where output was down 35% to €1.06bn (£954m), due mainly to the decrease in milk prices. Continued

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith TD, has reminded those REPS 3 participants whose anniversaries arise in November and December who have yet to return their 1C forms to do so immediately to ensure that they are processed for early payment. The Minister pointed out that his Department would have sent the 1C forms to the farmers concerned in the month before their anniversary date and said that the completed forms should be returned to the appropriate local office. Minister Smith said "I am anxious that as many REPS 3 payments as possible can be made before Christmas, but this depends on farmers completing and returning the necessary 1C forms which will allow my Department to make the payments. Continued

Department Inspectors are conducting on farm inspections through the country, Farmers who have received inspection are reporting thorough inspections and many are been penalised,