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Farming Budget 2010

IrishFarming.ie — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:36:56 +0000

There was a sense of relief among farm organisations yesterday in the aftermath of a draconian budget that did not hit farming as hard as recent efforts. In his post Budget press briefing, Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith was also in relatively upbeat mood. The fact that agriculture was spared harsh cuts was seen as an acknowledgement of the dreadful income crisis affecting the sector and the cuts to major schemes already inflicted in October 2008 and April 2009. The cloud over the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme has been removed and it will be paid at the reduced €40 rate in 2010. It is a sign of the crisis in income that so many farmers have stayed loyal to the scheme, despite the payment rate being halved from its original €80 level. For those completing their REPS plan in 2010, the Minister signaled a new scheme “with up to €5,000 available”. The Minister for Agriculture told the Irish Farmers Journal that it is likely to be January of February before the details of the scheme are agreed. Applications will close on May 15. It is set to be a menu based scheme that will require major environmental improvements to attract payment. Forestry has been boosted by a commitment towards a planting target of 7,000 hectares. Minister Tony Killeen told the IFJ that payment rates are currently under review, but there is no further cut to already reduced premia payments to those already in forestry. The new carbon tax of 4.9 cent per litre does not apply to agricultural diesel until May 1 so we can expect a major battle to secure an exemption to what is effectively a 10% increase in green diesel costs. Fine Gael’s Michael Creed has already joined in that battle. “Farming is a carbon heavy process where there is no alternative to farm machinery and vehicles. By failing to exempt agricultural diesel from this carbon tax the Government are merely taxing farm activity,” he said. There was some good news in relation to the income levy – depreciation of buildings constructed under the Farm Waste Management Scheme can now be offset against the income levy. This is a significant concession on what was a costly anomaly. Further details on the exact calculation will be provided by Joe Hickey of IFAC in next week’s Irish Farmers Journal. Funding for Teagasc and Bord Bia came through the Budget relatively unscathed, although all of their staff will face significant cuts in their pay, as outlined by the Minister for Finance in his Budget speech. The Minister for Agriculture said that an additional €2.5m has been granted to Bord Bia in order to undertake additional marketing efforts next year. The Minister has allocated €200m to pay the remaining 40% payment due in Farm Waste Management Scheme payments. “By the end of January, over 90% of our FWMS commitments will have been honoured,” the Minister said. He pointed out that the overall reduction in his allocation for 2010 had to be seen in the context of the exceptional allocation required in 2009 for the pork recall scheme and the FWMS.

Cereal production down 520,000 t in Ireland

IrishFarming.ie — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:09:39 +0000

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. Winter wheat production was down 36pc on 2008, falling from 791,000t to 503,000t — due to lower yields and a 28pc drop in the planted area. Spring wheat production was back 22pc (35,000t) as yields fell to 6.9t/ha. The area sown this year was down 6,000ha to 18,000ha. Winter barley output was back almost 10pc, falling from 167,000t in 2008 to 151,000t this year. Spring barley production fell by 12pc to 952,000t, back from 1.08m tonnes in 2008. The average yield was 6.1t/ha. There was a total collapse in winter oats production, with overall output down 55pc and back from 81,000t to 65,500t. In contrast, the spring oats area doubled from 4,700ha to 9,400ha. Total production rose from 30,000t to 62,000t. Although cereal prices fell by close to 30pc from 2008, sowings for 2010 are likely to be up.

On Farm Inspections Getting Out of Hand

IrishFarming.ie — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:11:30 +0000

ICSA suckler chairman Brendan McLaughlin has said today that on farm
inspections are getting totally out of hand. He said “there is a level of
detail required that drags the whole process out to a ridiculous extent.
Many inspections on relatively small and well-managed farms are taking
nearly a full day. This cannot be justified and it is time to ask whether
this is an efficient and cost effective use of scare public resources.”

“There is no reason why the vast majority of inspections couldn’t be carried
out in two hours. However, it is up to the farmer to keep on top of his
paperwork and his records so that there is no delay.”

“In these times of budgetary crisis, the inspection process needs to be
streamlined and the level of bureaucracy reduced. There is no need to look
into every nook and walk every cranny, especially on farms where it is
obvious that high standards are maintained the minute they walk through the
farm gate and the paperwork is up to date,” he concluded.

Area sown to winter wheat has fallen by 30pc

IrishFarming.ie — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:11:57 +0000

The area sown to winter wheat has fallen by 30pc on last year. However, early reports indicate that winter barley sowings are 20pc up on 2008 levels. Experts say the disparity in sowings between 2008 and this year could be down to a substitution effect, as farmers switch from wheat to barley and from spring barley to winter barley. There appears to be growing interest in sowing winter oats, a crop that is cheaper to grow. However, the oats market is notoriously volatile and even 1,000ac of extra oats could depress prices substantially next year. Tillage farmers are taking full advantage of the current dry spell by forging ahead with sowing. Weather conditions have been ideal for crop growth, with soil temperatures up by 0.5 to 1 degrees on normal. Crop establishment so far has been excellent, and the fine dry weather is providing ample opportunity for aphid and weed control. Seed quality has been described as very good, but there have been reports of merchants running out of seed. Farmers have been reluctant to order seed in advance, instead waiting until they are ready to sow before buying from merchants. Teagasc tillage expert Tim O'Donovan said it was too early to predict whether total cereal sowings would be down on last year. However, he warned tillage growers to sit down with their adviser or merchant before sowing to assess the cost of sowing cereals. "That is important for all tillage farmers and all crops, but particularly as we move later into the season," he said. On a positive note, prices on world grain markets have improved in the last fortnight. Fears that poor weather could hit the soya and corn harvests in the US have provoked a surge in futures prices. US corn prices for December are up 22pc, while wheat futures are up 17pc. However, Irish spot prices have yet to respond to these movements.

NRM fully accredited to test Irish agricultural soils

IrishFarming.ie — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:00:42 +0000

NRM Limited has gained full accreditation for the testing of Irish agricultural soils. The company, which is the leading agricultural testing laboratory in the UK, is one of the first few organisations serving the Irish market to achieve this accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2005. Critically it is the only laboratory that includes organic matter within its accredited suite, which is now a required test for tillage farmers in Ireland. “We are pleased to announce that accreditation has been accomplished well before the deadline set by the Irish Department of Agriculture of 1 January 2010,” explains Linda Radnor NRM’s General Manager. “We believe we will be one of just a handful of approved facilities able to carry out the full range of tests laid down by the Department,” she adds. The tests for which NRM is now accredited include Morgan’s extractable phosphate, potassium and magnesium, pH, buffer pH and organic matter. The Morgan’s method is specifically listed as a requirement in the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS) and the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2009 (SI No. 101 of 2009), which implements the EU Nitrates Directive. Both the REPS and the Nitrate Directive regulations specify detailed legally binding requirements for soil testing. “Important as the legal and regulatory demands are, there is an even better reason why Irish farmers should be testing their soils,” suggests Linda. “Soil is the basic raw material of farming. By understanding the soil’s nutrient status and the level of available organic nutrients it contains, it is very often possible to reduce the amount of bagged fertiliser applied. Cutting fertiliser rates can amount to a significant cost saving with no detrimental impact on grass or crop yields and quality. It is also good news environmentally as there will be fewer ‘leftover nutrients’ at risk of leaching to watercourses and other environmentally sensitive areas,” she adds. In the current economic climate, the use of organic materials such as slurries, manures and composted waste on land cannot be underestimated. As part of a nutrient management package, NRM can analyse these materials for their nutrient content and provide farmers with the nutrient values in fertiliser equivalents. The investment required to achieve this accreditation is a further example of NRM’s commitment to provide a high quality testing service to Irish agriculture. With over 40 years' experience, NRM is one of the UK’s most innovative and experienced independent analytical businesses. The company has an extensive testing capability covering all aspects of water, soil and plant tissue, inputs and outputs associated with crop and livestock production. Working to internationally recognised analytical methodology and standards NRM’s team of skilled scientists offer rapid turnaround combined with high quality results providing the information on which to make sound farming decisions. 23 October 2009

Government at the root of milk crisis

IrishFarming.ie — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:53:46 +0000

THE government’s ‘flawed’ policy is contributing to the current crisis in the dairy sector, according to ICMSA President Jackie Cahill.

“EU milk production is increasing at a time when consumption is falling. The resultant market imbalance has caused the biggest crisis in the dairy sector ever. The crisis is due to extra milk production in the face of falling demand, resulting in falling milk prices which in turn has forced farmers to produce even more milk. This vicious cycle is facilitated and magnified by quota increases,” Mr Cahill said.

However, while overall EU milk production has increased Irish milk output has declined. Mr Cahill said the government aim of expanding Irish milk output has failed and dairy farmers urgently need a milk price increase.

REPS Planning Fees must be reduced

IrishFarming.ie — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:03:04 +0000

IFA Rural Development Chairman, Tom Turley, said that an IFA national analysis of REPS planning fees show a significant variation, and lower fees must now apply given the economic realities and the 17% reduction in REPS payments.

Teagasc and private planners must contribute to the lower cost of compliance given the reduction in payments.

Tom Turley said that the recent decision by the Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, to reduce REPS 4 payments by 17% must result in an equivalent reduction in the cost of compliance and one of the more significant costs from the IFA analysis is REPS planning fees.

IFA estimate that farmers pay REPS planners in excess of €30m per year for the drawing up of REPS plans and the annual renewal fee. The survey highlights significant differences in charges and farmers must now insist on reductions.

The IFA Rural Development Chairman expressed serious concern that Teagasc planning fees set the trend for these high charges.

In the IFA analysis, in the vast majority of cases Teagasc fees are greater than those of private planners by an average of around 15% and Mr. Turley questioned why a state funded organisation could justify these higher charges.

“For example the Teagasc REPS cost for drawing up a plan on a 40ha. farm is €1,350. The cost for private planners for the same farm size varies from €800 up to €1,200 including VAT.

In the case of the annual fee for a 40ha. farm the Teagasc charge is €430. In the case of private planners the annual charge ranges from €250 up to €550 including VAT.”

In the case of soil samples a wide variation exists. Teagasc charge €28 per sample compared to a range of €11 to €25 for private planners.

On a regional basis farmers get better value in the north-west and west compared to the south-east. Teagasc being a national organization, there are no regional variation in charges which makes the gap wider in those regions where private planner costs are lower.

Concluding the IFA Rural Development Chairman said that it was now important in the context of discussions in reducing the cost of REPS compliance that REPS planning fees are reduced by 20% and that the state organisation Teagasc should lead the way.

Why Organic Farming has a place in Ireland

IrishFarming.ie — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:50:49 +0000

During the final three decades of the last century, due to EU regulations, farming production systems in Ireland and across western Europe, became very 'intensive', with the emphasis on maximum production rather than market requirements. This consequently led to over production and the inevitable introduction of 'production limits or quotas'. This has resulted in reduced income from mainstream farming systems and hence the need arises for farmers to examine other means of land use in order to maintain a viable family income.

Many Irish Farmers have take the step of becoming fully certified Organic farmers to meet the challenges mentioned above and to meet the demand coming from the market place, The consumer wants naturally grown food free from chemicals, growth promoters and are prepared to pay for it. For this reason many farmers see Organic farming as a future and a means to better income's

Focus on Organic Milk Sales

IrishFarming.ie — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:41:37 +0000

A new company which aims to supply the organic liquid milk market was launched last week at the National Organic Farming Conference in Birr, Co Offaly.

The Irish Organic Milk Producers Ltd (IOMP) will represent organic dairy farmers and intends to develop a nationwide distribution network for organic milk.

It was one of two organisations to be launched at the Co Offaly event. The Organic Growers of Ireland (OGI) was also unveiled at the conference, and it plans to represent Ireland's organic horticultural producers.

IOMP includes milk producers from across most of the 26 counties. They have been loosely associated for the last seven or eight years but have now decided to formalise their relationship.

The group has a milk pool of 2.5m litres and supply the vast bulk of this to Offaly-based organic food producer Glenisk.

However, with a further 2m litres earmarked for organic producers, IOMP plan to develop other possible outlets, while also addressing areas of immediate concern for members.

"Because of the increased power of larger multiples and the fact they have continued to increase their margins, organic dairy farmers are finding that, as their costs increase and milk price drops, viability of farms is being put under pressure," IOMP's chairman, Pat Mulrooney, stated.

Although Mr Mulrooney insisted that members were broadly satisfied with their Glenisk deals, he said IOMP intended to develop an organic liquid milk distribution network.

This initiative will involve supplying small speciality shops rather than multiples, Mr Mulrooney said.

IOMP are also assessing the viability of producing organic cheese. They are currently in the process of registering a cheese brand, which is to be launched within the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, OGI will represent organic horticultural producers and encourage those growers keen to convert to organic production.

OGI chairman Jason Horner said the immediate aim was to support organic growers and promote organic produce.

OGI aims to develop a community of growers, which will facilitate the transfer of practical market information and enable members to share technical information.

The organisation can be contacted at irishorganic growers@gmail.com

Irish Budget cuts will hit Farmers,

IrishFarming.ie — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:55:19 +0000

Agriculture will once again be in the firing line as the Government struggles to bridge the latest budgetary shortfall.

Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith has confirmed that spending in all departments will be reviewed as part of the ongoing process to cut costs.

Rationalisation of Department offices, as well as the sharing of resources with bodies such as Teagasc, will offer welcome savings. However, the fact that farmer programmes will be in the spotlight once more is causing some concern.

The work of An Bord Snip Nua has taken on even more importance given the sorry state of the public finances.

While immediate cuts in spending, and tax increases, are needed to restore balance to public finances, the short-term benefits must be weighed against the long-term effects.

The forestry sector is a case in point. While a capital budget of €121 is available to growers, close to two-thirds of these monies are committed to premium payments on existing plantations.

As a result, any move on this budget would result in a disproportionate reduction in new plantings.

Industry sources point to the massive fall-off in the establishment of new forests when funding was hit in 2003. Along with undermining the sector in the medium-term, any such move would also have serious consequences for Ireland's climate-change commitments.

In talks with the Government last week, the ICMSA stressed the role home-grown export businesses can play in stimulating economic recovery. Local enterprises, such as the agri-food sector, will not save the Irish economy single-handedly, but the resilience of these businesses through the last year underlines their importance to the economy.

When it comes time to draw up a master plan to guide Ireland out of the current mess, economic planners should take note of the performance of indigenous industry over the last year and give it the credit and support it deserves.

Dairy crisis must be addressed

IrishFarming.ie — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:55:07 +0000

Speaking in Brussels today where all EU dairy farmers' organisations are meeting in COPA, IFA National Dairy Chairman Richard Kennedy said there was common ground among dairy producers across Europe about the need for market supports for milk prices.

Mr Kennedy said, "there is a crisis of unprecedented scale in milk production all around Europe. All our colleagues have confirmed that milk prices are falling, and are now substantially below production costs. This situation is unsustainable and underlines the importance of urgent action.”

Based on the information gathered from farm organisations across EU member states, Richard Kennedy said it was imperative that Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith worked with his colleagues to apply the necessary political pressure to provide the supports needed to stabilise milk prices.

“Like his counterparts, Minister Smith is aware of the deepening problems caused by the extraordinary weakness of dairy markets. The Minister must build alliances and pursue the necessary measures to stabilise the markets and support the incomes of dairy farmers.”

Irish Fertilizer prices fall further

IrishFarming.ie — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:36:09 +0000

Fertilizer prices are continuing to fall because of the constant flow of imports,Urea prices are experiencing a downward trend to €335/tonne, Tillage and grassland farmers will be buying the bulk of their fertilizer in the coming weeks 18-6-12 for example has a wide variation of prices been quoted with €460 been one of the lowest.27-2.5-5 is running at a low of €420,

But be careful with what is been offered and check the compounds when comparing as some imports may differ from what we normally see here in Ireland.
Fertilizer survey this week

Urea Gran €335-€460
Prilled urea €300- €425
27% CAN €350-€390
24% CAN+S €325-€380
14-7-14 €445-€505
18-6-12 €470-€580
27-2.5-5 €420-€540
24-2.5-10 €438-€540
As you can see big variation so shop around.

Enegry and cost savings from IFA

IrishFarming.ie — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:50:10 +0000

Following the introduction of a new increased discount package between IFA Power and Bord Gáis Energy Supply over 16,000 IFA members have already switched to the deal.
The members who have already switched will collectively save in excess of €6m on their electricity costs in the first year.

The deal represents significant savings and all of IFA's 86,000 members are encouraged to take action now to reduce their costs. This electricity deal with Bord Gáis Energy Supply coupled with the savings members can enjoy with IFA Telecom and IFA Mobile will shave €00's off utility bills for farm families and as times get more challenging, a € saved is as good as a € earned.
The deal offers members 13% discount off ESB’s domestic and night saver tariff in year one and a minimum of 7% in year 2 and 3. As part of the deal Bord Gáis Energy Supply has agreed to sit down with IFA to negotiate the best possible discount above the 7% guaranteed in year 2 and 3 which will depend on energy costs and the IFA Power group size at the time.
The 16,000 plus members who have already signed up to the IFA Power deal have seen their service switch to the new deal and benefited from the huge savings to be made.

Farm Finance, The reality

IrishFarming.ie — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:36:36 +0000

With the collapse of the financial sector in Ireland, Irish farmers are been subjected to unfair treatment from banks and finance companies. Despite their press releases claiming business as usual it is far from reality
What is happening?
Term loans are been recalled when customers make deposits,
Stocking loans are been refused leaving farmers who require seasonal loans for seed, fertiliser, chemicals or livestock without funds to operate their businesses
Hire purchase or leasing for asset finance is proving very difficult to secure. Customers credit history is be scrutinised in detail and any blip over the past few years is resulting in refusal. When one finance company refuses a customer this is recorded on the Irish credit bureau and the rest of the finance just refuse as a result of this.
Where finance is been agreed interest rates are high with 9% and 10% been quoted.

Its time the farming representatives come out and publicly denounce this practice. Irish farmers have managed their businesses professionally and responsibly and it’s essential that the financial sector support them and not force them out of business because of the careless practices of themselves.

IFA MEET FRENCH MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE ON SHEEP WTO

IrishFarming.ie — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:46:39 +0000

IFA National Sheep Committee Chairman Henry Burns met the French Minister for Agriculture Mr Barnier in Paris together with Mr Liam Aylward MEP and a delegation of French Sheep Industry representatives.

Mr Burns said he was very encouraged by the positive approach of Mr Barnier towards the sheep sector and his willingness to drive forward on the key issues identified in the latest EU report on sheepmeat.

Henry Burns said Mr Barnier was extremely strong in his opposition to the Mandelson WTO proposal saying, "no deal is better than a bad deal."

In conjunction with Liam Aylward MEP, the IFA Sheep Chairman presented a detailed set of proposals on the sheep sector to Minister Barnier.

These proposals included increased promotional funding for sheepmeat, EU labelling and branding, opposition to any increase in EU sheepmeat imports under WTO and increased direct supports for sheep. The French Minister told Henry Burns he will organise a major sheep conference involving all of the main EU sheep producing countries and their Ministers in France in early September.

Brazilian Beef is “BACK”

IrishFarming.ie — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:28:15 +0000

Reacting to the EU Commission decision to allow 106 Brazilian producers export into Europe, Irish farmers are of the opinion EU Commissioner Markos Kyprianou was highly irresponsible in the light of the admission by the Brazilian Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes that untraceable beef had been exported by Brazil.

The Irish farmers leader Padraigh Walsh has accused the Commissioner of political expediency in taking a decision in the absence of proper inspections by the Food and Veterinary Office. He said Kyprianou has made a mockery of European food traceability standards, with stringent regulations for European farmers and non-compliance for Brazilians.

Padraig Walshe vowed to continue the IFA campaign for equivalent standards for all food producers whether in Ireland or in importing countries.

Minister Coughlan Announces Details Of The 2008 Single Payment Scheme

IrishFarming.ie — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:49:07 +0000

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mary Coughlan T.D., today announced details of the application arrangements for the 2008 Single Payment Scheme (SPS), the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the Energy Crops Scheme and the Proteins Premium Scheme. "The closing date for these applications is Thursday, 15 May 2008", the Minister said. "I am opening the application period much earlier than in previous years, while at the same time choosing the latest possible closing date, in order to give farmers and their agriculture consultants/agents as long an application period as possible".

While the printed application forms will not be issued for some weeks, Minister Coughlan said she was delighted that arrangements were already in place to accept online applications. Referring further to the online application facility, the Minister added "A number of farmers and their agents are already aware of the benefits of the online application having used this facility when it was introduced last year. The application has been further enhanced and has been made even more user-friendly for 2008 based on the feedback from the farmers and their agents who applied online in 2007. There are built-in warnings etc, which results in fewer errors and, among many other features, there is instant access to all the farmer's land and entitlements details and to previous applications. Anyone interested in registering online for 2008 should visitwww.agfood.iefor full details".While the Minister encouraged an even greater take-up of the online facility in 2008, she also assured farmers that they were of course free to continue lodging written applications in the traditional manner.

Minister Coughlan went on to mention a number of significant changes to the Single Payment Scheme in 2008, mostly following consultations on further simplification at EU level. "Among the major changes that will be particularly welcomed by farmers is the abolition of the 10- month land availability rule. This has been replaced by a one-day rule. Applicants must have the land declared on their form on 31 May 2008. The definition of eligible land for payment purposes has also been expanded to include land used for potatoes, fruit and vegetables so farmers involved in these sectors will welcome this change. The 0% rate of set-aside will also be a bonus to tillage farmers and should go some way towards a much-needed increase in the crops harvest in 2008",Minister Coughlan said. In this context, the Minister also confirmed that while the EU Commission has indicated that it will consider the permanent removal of obligatory set-aside as and from 2009, no official proposal to this effect has yet been brought forward.

The Minister urged all applicants to take great care in completing their 2008 Single Payment Scheme application, which is a vital document for participation in many other schemes as well. A set of Guidelines in a separate document, specially written to help applicants to complete the form, will issue during March to all farmers along with their pre-printed form and the Helpsheet/Terms and Conditions. These documents are already available online. As well as these documents, the Minister said that further help would be available by way of Lo-call help lines. "I have again made arrangements to have dedicated Lo-call help-lines organised to assist farmers with any queries they may have in relation to the 2008 Scheme. Details of all relevant numbers are available online and will be printed in the Guidelines".

Fertiliser prices dip

IrishFarming.ie — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:56:02 +0000

IFA Input Project Team Leader Eddie Downey said that fertiliser prices have finally begun to emerge and fall as competition for cash business and volume purchases intensifies.Mr Downey said: “Despite the fact that wholesale prices have been moving up in the last number of weeks farmers have been able to purchase CAN delivered in big bags from €270 to €285/t, with granulated urea delivered in big bags selling from €370 to €390. Terms have varied from cash to a number of months credit, but the better offers in general have been for volume cash deals."
“There is a concerted effort by the trade to talk the retail price of all fertilisers up and in particular for CAN price up over €300 / t and urea over €400 / t but competition for volume and or cash business is intense."
He added: "Fertiliser represents one of the biggest single item purchases for most farmers. With CAN prices up by €60 / t farmers should carefully examine their requirements and cut back where possible. Greater emphasis should be placed on the nutrient content and value of slurry and organic manures. In addition pig slurry and poultry litter where available is capable making a valuable contribution towards grassland and crop nutrient requirements and should be considered as a viable alternative."
“Farmers should not take delivery without first negotiating a price first. Ongoing surveys by the team have shown that credit prices can often be €40to €60 /t over the prevailing cash price on the day. IFA will be closely monitoring the wholesale and retail market through ongoing surveys and publishing the results."

Minister of Agriculture Announces Payment Statements For Farmers

IrishFarming.ie — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:20:25 +0000

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mary Coughlan
T.D., announced today that over 141,000 Annual Payment
Statements for the year 2007 will issue to farmers around the
country over the next few days. The Minister said that the Statement gives
details to each farmer of all payments made to him/her by the Department during
the period 1st January 2007 to 31st December 2007.

The total value of
the payments recorded on the Statements is €2.213 billion and represents a
massive contribution to farm incomes and to investment in the sector. The main
elements of expenditure were the Single Payments Scheme €1,298 million, REPS
€311 million, Income Supports in Disadvantaged Area €254 million, on-farm
investment grants, including the Farm Waste Management Scheme €114 million,
Afforestation €83 million and payments under the Early Retirement Scheme of €53
million.

The Minister added that the Payment Statement has proven in
previous years to be a very useful document and she asked that farmers retain it
carefully for future reference.

21 February, 2008

Note for Editors

The annual payments statement has issued to each farmer each year
following representations for such a statement by the farming organisations a
number of years ago. Feedback from farmers who look for a copy of the statement
indicate that the statement is widely used for in making income tax returns,
applications for loans etc.

The table below provides some additional
information on a provincial basis on the number of farmers paid and the overall
value of payments issued in 2007.

2007
Province	Overall Payments per Province	Total No. of Recipients	No of Statements with value > = €10,000	Average payment/Recipient/Province
Ulster	245,409,890	18,637	7849	13,168
Connaught	475,558,730	41,260	16478	19,514
Leinster	686,978,870	34,644	18856	19,830
Munster	805,153,750	46,766	25975	17,217

	Overall Payments Nationally	Total No. of Recipients Nationally	No of Statements with value > = €10,000	Average payment/Recipient/Nationally
	2,213,101,231	141,307	69158	15,662

Reps Cheques are Finally in the Post

IrishFarming.ie — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:40:00 +0000

By Majella O'Sullivan
Tuesday February 19 2008

Cheques are in the post for the 6,000 REPS 2 and 3 farmers who are awaiting payment.

The debacle between the Department of Agriculture and the EU Commission over the REPS 2 and 3 pay freeze was resolved yesterday.

However, there is no such reprieve for REPS 4 participants.

Following a meeting between Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan and Commissioner Marian Fischer Boel in Brussels yesterday, the Commissioner agreed to return to the status quo.

However, it is still not clear if this will continue to be the case for future payments. Discussions continue about the method of payment for the scheme after REPS 2 and REPS 3 expire. Until then, Ireland's REPS farmers who were left out in the cold are now to receive payment at the beginning of the contract year — as has been the case.

Minister Coughlan said she was grateful to the Commissioner for her personal intervention to resolve what was an extremely difficult situation.

"I had emphasised to her the seriousness with which I viewed the matter, and the risk of damaging Irish farmers' confidence in a popular and extremely successful scheme which has delivered real benefits to society as a whole in terms of landscape, biodiversity and water quality," Minister Coughlan said.

Farmers' organisations and opposition politicians had warned that failure to resolve the issue could result in a 'no' vote in the upcoming referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

The Minister said she had now obtained the Commissioner's agreement that Ireland could continue as before in paying REPS 2 and REPS 3 participants at the beginning of each contract year.

She said she had directed her officials to take immediate steps to release REPS 2 and REPS 3 payments which had been on hold since early January.

Commissioner Fischer Boel stated that she had no objection to Ireland continuing to receive REPS payment claims and make payments as has been done in the past, until the expiry of REPS 2 and REPS 3 contracts.

Discussions will continue in Brussels tomorrow at official level on the interpretation of the new Commission Regulations governing payments under REPS 4.

The IFA is seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister to sort out payment arrangements for farmers joining REPS 4. Rural development chairman Tom Turley said that farmers joining the scheme had an expectation that payments would be made at the start of each contract year of the five-year plan.

- Majella O'Sullivan