Exceptional payments from a fund of €2.8 million are to be made to horticulture growers through the month of September as applications are processed.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue T.D. and Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity with special responsibility for Horticulture Senator Pippa Hackett today announced payments under the Horticultural Exceptional Payment Scheme (HEPS) have started to issue to eligible applicants.
HEPS is a support measure worth €2.8m which is funded from Ireland’s allocation for exceptional adjustment aid to producers in agricultural sectors which have been impacted by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine as announced by the European Commission on 23rd March.
Payments will be capped at €100,000 per beneficial owner.
Making the announcement, Minister McConalogue said: “I am delighted to announce the commencement of payments under the Horticultural Exceptional Payment Scheme. This support measure will help to mitigate some of the significant challenges the horticulture sector has been experiencing of late. The domestic horticulture sector is of immense importance and one that we want to protect and enhance. This was my core reason for devising this support package. I want to see the sector flourish in the time ahead.”
Minister Hackett added: “Our domestic horticultural growers play a vital role in producing safe, nutritious and local food in an environmentally sustainable manner. I am committed to supporting our growers through what has been an exceptionally challenging period, and these payments will provide valuable cash flow to help to support growers and ensure the long-term viability of the sector”.
Payments to growers in the sectors of high-wire crops, field vegetables and apples will be made on an area basis (per hectare) for crops being grown in 2022. For mushrooms, payments will be calculated on the level of mushrooms sold and will be based on the quantity (weight in kg) of mushrooms sold over the period from 1st January 2022 to 30th April 2022.
Minister McConalogue urged farmers who have outstanding queries to address to respond to the Department immediately in order to facilitate their payment.
HEPS is designed to ensure the short-term security and thus the long-term viability of these sectors.
The subsectors included under this Scheme include commercial growers in the glasshouse high-wire crops (peppers/tomatoes/cucumbers), field vegetable, mushroom and apple sectors.
Payments to growers of field vegetables and apples will be made on an area basis (per hectare) at a rate of €400 per hectare.
Payments to growers of high-wire crops will be calculated for a maximum of 2 hectares. A rate of €70,000 will be paid for the first hectare in production and €30,000 for the second or the pro-rata equivalent.