IFA leader says Budget measures may not be enough for farmers

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New suckler and fodder schemes, and energy supports are among the measures to be included in the budget for farmers.

The Fodder Support Scheme will allow farmers to earn up to €1,000 euro if they hold onto hay and fodder next year.

To help with high fertiliser prices, the Minister for agriculture’s expected to introduce a new €8 million grant aid scheme to support the spreading of lime.

But chairman of the IFA Tim Cullinan is unsure whether this will be enough.

“Inflation from June ’21 to June ’22 is 40% but if you’re to look at it in more recent times fertiliser would have increased up to 140% so any incentives there. But that’s not going to be enough – there’s only a third of the fertiliser industry manufacturing across Europe at the moment and this is a massive worry and a concern for us.”