More than 70,000 farmers have applied for the €56m Fodder Support Scheme before the closing date of 27th August, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD has confirmed.
The Minister introduced the Fodder Support Scheme as part of a package of measures in recent months to provide support to Irish farmers arising from the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Minister McConalogue stated, “I am really pleased to see such a high uptake of the Fodder Support Scheme, with over 537,000 hectares being entered in the scheme and this will make a big contribution towards the fodder required in the country for the coming winter.”
The Minister added, “The Government provided €56 million for the Fodder Support Scheme, with a payment rate of up to €100 per hectare. The amount of support is capped at 10 hectares per farmer, this will result in a maximum payment of €1,000 under the Scheme”.
Minister McConalogue concluded by urging all participants to ensure they read the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme, in particular, that the areas declared under the Scheme must be cut and conserved by Monday 5th September 2022.
After that date, the Department will be undertaking a range of administrative and compliance checks including on-farm inspections.
“I encourage participants who may receive correspondence from my Department in relation to the Scheme, to respond without delay. Payments under the scheme are scheduled to commence later in 2022”.
The Fodder Support Scheme (FSS) aims to incentivise farmers, in particular, dry stock farmers to grow more fodder (silage and/or hay) for the coming winter to ensure Ireland does not have any animal welfare issues over the coming winter and next spring.
The maximum area eligible for payment under the scheme is 10 hectares with a potential maximum payment of €1,000.
There were 69,403 applications for the Fodder Support Scheme received by midnight on the 2nd of August 2022. An additional 680 late applications were received by the Department before midnight on August 27th, 2022.
The preliminary figure for the total payable area declared under the FSS is 537,568 hectares. As with all such schemes, this figure may change following administrative checks and inspections.
Payments will commence in late November 2022 once all administrative, compliance, and on the spot inspections have been undertaken.