Tag Archives: Single Farm Payment

Thousands of suckler farmers in Clare are facing an “income crisis” unless urgent action is taken to address serious issues in the beef industry, local farm leaders have warned. It has been claimed that weanling bull prices could drop by over €300 when sales commence next month. Farming representatives are fearful that weanling prices may be down by as much as 25% on 2013 prices, which would reflect an overall drop of 80 to 85 cent per kilo in the average beef price. With an estimated 5,000 suckler producers in the Banner County, the next few months will determine if this enterprise is viable. Clare IFA chairman, Andrew Dundas, said the Single Farm Payment was effectively subsidising operators in a lot of cases, which couldn’t continue. He confirmed the IFA is organising a meeting with the Northern Minister for Agriculture, Michelle O’Neill, to try and address the absence of Northern Ireland buyers in local marts and other issues. If live …

THE Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney this Wednesday announced the opening of iNet, an online application facility for the Single Payment Scheme It will open on this Thursday and the closing date for receipt of applications as 15th May. “The opening of iNet over two months before the application closing date is very much in line with my commitment to maximise the use of technology for farmers’ benefit,” he said. The minister said that over 73,000 applications were submitted online under the 2013 Scheme, representing a ten-fold increase since iNet was launched. “With almost 40,000 applications submitted under the 2013 Scheme with no change recorded from the previous year, there is huge scope for many applicants to submit their 2013 applications sooner rather than later,” Minister Coveney noted. “Initially, farmers and their approved agents were attracted to iNet by the fact that it guaranteed immediate, verifiable receipt by my department of their applications,” he added. Minister …