Following confirmation by two banks that their low-cost loan funds had been applied for, there have been calls for further funds to be made available.

Martin Stapleton, IFA farm business chair, said the demand has highlighted the enormous gap on the market for working capital at a reasonable cost.

“Irish farmers are at a competitive disadvantage compared to their EU counterparts, with higher-than-average rates. The success of the scheme clearly shows the huge demand there is for competitively-priced working capital,” he said.

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Low-cost credit

He also said that there are farmers who did not apply for the loan on this occasion, but for whom access to low-cost credit in the future will be hugely important.

“The SBCI should build upon the success of this loan, and put in place additional funds over the coming months for lower-cost loans for both working capital and longer-term investment.

“As we did last year, IFA will be engaging with SBCI to make the case for this funding, and will use the evidence of the huge demand for the agri-cashflow loan to back this up,” Martin added.

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