2003 headage payments to begin within weeks

By John Shirley

Headage cheques, now called Area Based Compensation, will arrive on 100,000 Irish farms over the next few weeks, a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture confirmed this week.

Three out of four farms now qualify for this scheme which in total is worth €235m.

The Department spokesman also confirmed that Minister Joe Walsh is working towards payment of 80% advance on 2003 cattle schemes from October 16 next. This extra advance payment was conceded by the EU Commission in light of the weather stress on the Continent.

The EU has also given permission for some advance payment of ewe premium and arable payments but this is confined to continental farmers that have borne the brunt of the drought.

This includes all or part of Germany, Italy, Portugal, Holland, Spain and France. The concessions are not availabe in Ireland where normal payment of 100% ewe premium is expected from October 16 and 100% of arable aid expected from mid November.