€1.5 million weather related crop loss support measure for Irish growers
Staff Writer |
Michael Creed, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, announced the opening of a targeted crop loss support measure to assist growers most affected by the wet weather harvest conditions of September 2016.
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This measure will provide a financial contribution towards the cost of spring cereals crop losses in excess of 30% by yield, experienced by growers. Minister Creed confirmed that application forms including details on eligibility for the Crop Loss Support Measure will be available on his Department’s website.
Minister Creed reaffirmed his commitment to the sector including having provided national funding to allow the “Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme” to be extended to tillage farmers.
The latest data available from the SBCI, on the drawdown to the end of June indicates total loans of €7.739 million have been provided to the tillage sector in line with the relative size of the sector.
The loan scheme provides farmers with a low cost, flexible source of working capital and will allow farmers to pay down more expensive forms of short-term debt, ensuring the on-going financial sustainability of viable farming enterprises.
Additionally Minister Creed recently announced the Tillage Investment Scheme under TAMS II which opened for online applications on the 8 March 2017.
The specific areas of investment include Minimum Disturbance Tillage Equipment, Sprayers, Rain Water Harvesting, Grain Storage and Grain dryers.
This Tillage Scheme is the latest of the Targeted Modernisation Schemes (TAMS II) to be launched under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.
The Scheme is co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
The closing date for applications under the first tranche of the new scheme was Friday 30 June 2017.
The second tranche is currently open. There was a significant level of interest in investments under this measure with a total number of 490 applications received in the first tranche. ■
A Fall heatwave will continue into the weekend over portions of the Desert Southwest and central/southern California as a persistent trend of upper-ridging over the region remains in place.