IFA president Joe Healy told TDs and senators that there must be an increase in funding in next month’s budget for important farm schemes following a reduction in funding to the agriculture budget by almost 40% during the economic downturn.

Proposals on farm schemes raised to Oireachtas members included €250m funding for agri-environment schemes, introducing the €25m targeted sheep scheme, additional funding for ANC, immediate reopening of the Beef Data and Genomic Programme with €25m increased funding for suckler cow support and €50m of funding for the TAMS II programme across sectors.

The importance of the Farm Assist Scheme and calls for reinstating the income and child disregards were also highlighted by IFA representatives to TDs and senators.

Taxation

The IFA is also calling for income volatility to be managed through flexible taxation measures. These include maximising the number of farmers using income averaging by removing the restrictions on farmers with spouses in self-employment and also by allowing tax to be paid on a single-year basis if incomes drop significantly.

The delivery of better access to finance was also raised through farmers being able to accumulate merchant credit, utility, superlevy and other bills into low-cost and short-term loans.

The IFA has reiterated its call for the €11.1m funding from the EU Exceptional Aid Funding to be matched by Government funds to help cashflow difficulties.

Brexit

Oireachtas members were told that it is critical that action is taken in next month’s budget to offset negative effects of the Brexit vote, such as exchange rate movements, as well as decreased cost competitiveness.

The IFA proposals for this included no increase in excise rates for agricultural diesel and temporarily reducing the lower rate of employer PRSI to reduce employment costs for small businesses.

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Full coverage: Budget 2017