Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue T.D., has announced a targeted intervention package for the tillage sector and a multi-species sward initiative, worth over €12 million to support Irish farmers.
Minister McConalogue said:
“We are living in unprecedented times. The illegal invasion in Ukraine has put our supply chains under enormous pressure,with extraordinarily high input prices and potential supply chain disruption. This is why I have put in place a Rapid Response Team in my Department and I established the National Fodder and Food Security Committee to examine how best to advise the sector to manage the disruptions. Today’s package is aimed at producing more native crops while reducing dependency on imports and on crops with a low demand for chemical fertiliser, which is limited in supply as a result of the invasion.”
Minister McConalogue added:
“I am thankful to my cabinet colleagues for supporting this package. I have asked my Department officials to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the European Commission in the coming days to finalise the package. I committed to standing by our farm families during this crisis and I will continue to do so in the time ahead.”
Finally, Minister McConalogue stated:
“I urge farmers to take account of this package when deciding on crops to sow in the coming days and weeks. I also remind farmers that the crops declared on their 2022 Basic Payment Scheme application will be the basis for any future payments for these tillage and protein crops.”