Following on from September’s announcements around Budget 2023, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D, today launched the €30m 2023 Fodder Support Scheme.
Launching the measure, Minister McConalogue said,
“Supporting our family farms through this continued period of uncertainty remains a key priority of mine and the Government as a whole. There continues to be price pressure for agricultural input costs, in particular for chemical fertliliser and the impact that will have on the quantity of fodder produced and conserved next year, I am delighted to launch the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme 2023. This Scheme builds on the success of the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme which had over 71,000 applicants, with each of them due to receive an average payment of €735 shortly. The scheme was also designed to help ensure there will be adequate fodder on livestock farms."
The 2023 Scheme is a continuance of the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme and aims to incentivise farmers, in particular drystock farmers to grow more fodder (silage and/or hay) in 2023 to ensure Ireland does not have any animal welfare issues next year.
Only successful applicants for the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme are eligible to apply for the 2023 Scheme.
Minister McConalogue added:
“The initial budget for the Fodder Support Scheme is €30 million, with a payment rate of up to €100 per hectare. I will continue to monitor the situation around the price of agricultural inputs into 2023 and, in the event that they remain high, I will be seeking additional funding for this Scheme."
The details of the scheme will be notified to the European Commission in accordance with the Temporary Crisis Framework (TCF) and approval of applications under the measure will be subject to Commission decision on the scheme.
The online application system for this Scheme is now open, Farmers wishing to apply for the Fodder Support Scheme can do so either themselves or through their advisor up to midnight on the 5th December 2022 by logging on to the Exceptional Aid System on agfood.ie. All applications, whether submitted by a farmer or advisor, must be made using the online system.
Finally, Minister McConalogue stated “I urge all of the 71,000 eligible farmers for this Scheme to apply in good time and to ensure they read the Terms and Conditions of the scheme which are available on my Department’s website. My Department expect to begin issuing advance payments under this Scheme before the end of December 2022”.
Notes to the Editor:
• The Scheme aims to incentivise farmers, in particular drystock farmers to grow more fodder (silage and/or hay) for winter 2023 to ensure we do not have any animal welfare issue.
• Only farmers who have been accepted into the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme are eligible to apply for the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme.
• The maximum area eligible for payment under the scheme is 10 hectares with a potential maximum payment of €1,000.
• Where the Scheme is oversubscribed, the payment rate per hectare will be less than €100 per hectare. In this scenario, the Department will reduce the payment rate for all hectares or maintain the rate of €100 per hectare on the first few hectares and reduce it on the latter hectares.
• Advance payments will commence in December 2022, with balancing payments being made in Quarter 4 2023.
• Aid measures developed under the TCF are subject to the Standstill Obligation in compliance with Article 108(3) TFEU. This means that no aid can be granted or paid out before notification to and approval by Commission. In line with the requirements of the Framework, overall aid shall not at any point in time exceed €250,000 per undertaking.
• The Terms & Conditions of the Scheme are available on the Department’s website and can be viewed at gov.ie - Fodder Support Scheme (www.gov.ie)