The re-opening of the horticulture aid scheme will alleviate some of the financial pressure on growers aiming to restore buildings after structural damage caused by storm Éowyn, the IFA has said.

It was announced on Friday that the 2025 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector would reopen.

IFA horticulture chair Mark Walsh said the announcement of the targeted re-opening for growers who suffered severe losses goes some way in recognising the impact of the recent storm.

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The scheme will deal only with growers who are considering investment in response to the damage caused by the storm.

“There was positive engagement with the new Minister of State with responsibility for Horticulture, Micheal Healy-Rae, at the Horticulture Industry Forum (HIF) meeting in Backweston last week and the swift re-opening of the scheme is a positive step,” Mark Walsh said.

“However, he added that it will not cover any crops lost or consequential losses, which also had a huge impact on growers."

Impact

While difficult to quantify exact losses, the IFA in conjunction with the Organic Growers of Ireland (OGI) and Teagasc have estimated that €4.46m is the initial impact.

The Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector operates on an annual basis and the 2025 scheme had closed for applications last December.

The scheme will provide grant aid at a rate of 40% (50% for young farmers and licensed organic growers) for approved capital investments.

To facilitate efficient administration of applications, the closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 7 March.