The jump in expenditure by the Department of Agriculture by 9% in Budget 2016 was widely well received last week. The increase from €1,242m to €1,351m brought a boost of €109m delivered on top of the €45m extra received the previous year.

The boost this year was due largely to a significant increase in EU funding through the Rural Development Programme for schemes such as GLAS and BDGP.

In the last two years (2014-2016), the agricultural budget has increased by 12.3%. This is compared to an increase of just 4.3% across all Government departments. Agriculture has been put up as a shining light for exports and employment across the entire country, backing up the case for the increased budget.

However, for farmers it is important to put the increase in context. The last two budgets have been positive as we pull ourselves out of the deep recession.

Looking back on the last eight years does not show as rosy a picture for agriculture. It shows that the overall gross total expenditure in all Government departments fell by 11.5% between 2008 and 2016. Over the same time, agriculture suffered a 35.7% cut, over three times as much, even after the latest increases.

Comparing gross current expenditure, the Department of Social Protection got the biggest increase between 2008 and 2016 to facilitate the rising unemployment demand (Figure 2). Education was the only other department that got an increase, albeit small at 1.3%.

There were big cuts in the departments of justice and health but agriculture suffered the biggest cut of 20% when compared in this way.

However, the 2008 budget was boosted by €500m that was needed for the mammoth Farm Waste Management Scheme that was well subscribed at the time.

The first of the budget bombshells, as our front page shows, hit in 2009 as the knives came out to schemes such as Farm Retirement and Installation Aid, which were closed, while other schemes were slashed. In the following years, €60m was taken off DAS and REPS was wound continually down.

It was not just farmers that were hit. Over the past seven years, over €100m was taken out of the Department of Agriculture budget. Staff numbers fell from a maximum of 4,800 to 3,027 this year.

IFA president Eddie Downey said the figures show the serious impact of the cuts in farm schemes following the crisis in 2008. He said while there has been an increase this year, the aim of the Government has to be to fully restore funding.

“We need to see a greater commitment to low-income farmers, especially in vulnerable sectors and regions, from the Minister. This will be a key issue for farmers going into the next general election in the spring.”