SHEEP FARMERS have welcomed the announcement that €54 million in unused EU funding will be allocated to the sector over the next three years by the Department of Agriculture.
Irish Cattle and Sheep Association chairman Mervyn Sunderland said the move was a “boost for sheep farmers who have been struggling for survival in recent times” and hoped it would stem “the exodus from sheep farming.”
The €18 million annual Grasslands Sheep Scheme will come from unused Single Payment Scheme (SPS) funds and is focused on flocks with breeding ewes.
“A farmer with 210 ewes in a mountain area can expect to receive €2,200 whereas farmers in all other areas with 210 ewes will receive €2,100,” Mr Sunderland said. Payments will be made after December 2010.
Hill sheep farmers will receive €10.48 to € 12 per ewe while others will receive €10 per ewe, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) said.
“The additional payments in the hill areas reflect the difficulties facing the hill sheep sector,” IFA national sheep chairman James Murphy said.
Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith said the scheme would help to stop the decline in flock numbers and reduce income pressures on farmers as well as the number of producers leaving the sector.
He said the scheme had “administrative simplicity” because his department electronically held the data relating to ewe numbers, while the area data was available through the SPS.
The ewe numbers eligible for inclusion in the 2010 scheme are based on the numbers declared in the 2009 sheep census.
The rate payable is based on the number of eligible hectares using stock densities of 2.5 ewes per hectare for mountain grazing (maximum 84 hectares). These farmers will received €30 per hectare up to 20 hectares and €25 per hectare above that. The rate for other sheep farmers will use densities of seven ewes per hectare (maximum 30 hectares) for which they will receive €70 per hectare.
Farmers need to submit the SPS application form by May 17th.
