A thumbs-up for Budget 2017
WEST of Ireland farm representatives have given a largely positive response to Tuesday’s Budget but some disappointment has been expressed that the reversal of the ANC (Areas of Natural Constraint) cuts won’t be clicking-in for another year.
One of the big positive factors for Galway farmers is the introduction of a new €25 million Animal Welfare Scheme for Sheep that should provide the equivalent of a €10 per head ewe payment.
An increase in funding for the RDP (Rural Development Programme) – from €494 million in 2016 to €601m in 2017 – will allow for the re-opening of the GLAS environmental scheme to 12,000 more participants.
Farmers under severe cashflow problems will also be given the opportunity to avail of a low interest loan scheme to be administered by the main banks and available from early in 2017 with an interest rate of 2.95%.
Another cashflow relaxation for farmers will be a measure allowing them to ‘step out’ of income averaging during a particularly bad year like 2016 – this facility is to be made available immediately.
The RSS (Rural Social Scheme) is also to be expanded with the addition of another 500 places – this should be a boost to Galway participants where there is a high uptake in the RSS.
Galway IFA Chairman, Pat Murphy, said that in general there was a broadly positive response to Budget ’17 from the farming sector.
“We had hoped that the reversal of the ANC cuts would click in from this Budget, a measure that would give a cash boost to many struggling farmers, but at least the commitment is there to do it next year.
“The Sheep Scheme is a major boost to a county like Galway while measures on low cost loans, income averaging and the re-opening of GLAS are to be very much welcomed,” said Pat Murphy.
OPW Minister of State, Sean Canney, told the Farming Tribune, that he had worked hard to ensure that the Budget recognised the difficult year that farmers had endured and their serious cashflow problems.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.