Minister for European Affairs, and local Deputy, Peter Burke, has welcomed the announcement of a scheme to assist farmers who have lost fodder due to exceptional flooding in the Shannon Callows area.
“We have seen this year there has been exceptional flooding again in the Shannon Callows, particularly in July, August and September, which has meant our farmers were unable to conserve both hay and silage ahead of the winter. This has been an alarming situation for many farmers, with cash flow severely affected in many cases due to the need to purchase extra fodder for livestock. This targeted scheme is to address these cases.
“It was clear that local farmers needed assistance in this regard and the Minister for Agriculture signalled his department were in talks to bring forward a scheme. In my contact with the Minister and the Taoiseach, I stressed the need for any measures to be made available as soon as possible, particularly ahead of Christmas and the winter period. It’s imperative any scheme was straight forward, user friendly and accessible to all farmers with no onerous obligations to register online or elsewhere.
“While the scheme is not a silver bullet, it will ease the burden of certain farmers in the catchment area with €325 paid per hectare, up to a maximum of 15 hectares. I understand the Department will contact affected farmers directly on the matter, and more information is available on the department website,” Deputy Burke stated.
