I'm a tillage farmer. What can I plant to avail of the scheme?
Two types of crops are eligible:
Short-rotation grasses attract a payment of €155/ha.Catch crops such as brassicas are eligible to a payment of €100/ha.How much can I claim?
The area of additional fodder crops sown this autumn must be between 3ha and 50ha. This makes the highest possible payment worth €7,750 for a farmer planting the maximum 50ha of short-rotation grass.
Can I claim for my existing GLAS or Greening catch crops?
No. Parcels declared as catch crops under GLAS or Greening are ineligible. Farmers must plant new crops on separate land to avail of this scheme.
Do I have to revert this land to tillage rotation after this winter?
Yes. "The measure will not apply where land is being taken out of tillage production but encourages temporary production only of fodder by tillage growers," the Department of Agriculture said.
Are there any quality criteria?
The crop must be grown to commercial requirements and the recommended seeding and fertilisation rates must be adhered to. The crop must be grown on lands declared as tillage in your 2018 BPS application.
What species can I sow? Where do I apply? What are the deadlines?
The full terms and conditions of the scheme and applications form are due to be published on the Department's website 'shortly'.
Is there enough money for all farmers applying?
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has said that he secured funding from his finance colleague Paschal Donohoe for €2.75m. This would be enough to support up to 17,700ha of short-rotation grass or 27,500ha of catch crops. The Department is targeting a mix of crops covering 23,000ha.
How much fodder will this deliver for livestock farmers?
For argument's sake, let's assume the Department target of 23,000ha is entirely covered with short-rotation grass. If that crop delivers 4tDM/ha in two cuts over the winter, that's a total of 92,000tDM, or just under half a million tonnes of fresh silage at 20% DM.
This is 5% of the 9mt silage shortage expected by Teagasc and co-ops this coming winter.
Read more
€2.75m scheme for tillage farmers to grow fodder
Drought relief: what can Minister Creed do?
More flexibility for GLAS farmers to conserve fodder
Department backtracks on GLAS fallow land derogation
Fodder shortfall the equivalent of 2.4m tonnes of concentrate
Defining week for Minister Creed
I'm a tillage farmer. What can I plant to avail of the scheme?
Two types of crops are eligible:
Short-rotation grasses attract a payment of €155/ha.Catch crops such as brassicas are eligible to a payment of €100/ha.How much can I claim?
The area of additional fodder crops sown this autumn must be between 3ha and 50ha. This makes the highest possible payment worth €7,750 for a farmer planting the maximum 50ha of short-rotation grass.
Can I claim for my existing GLAS or Greening catch crops?
No. Parcels declared as catch crops under GLAS or Greening are ineligible. Farmers must plant new crops on separate land to avail of this scheme.
Do I have to revert this land to tillage rotation after this winter?
Yes. "The measure will not apply where land is being taken out of tillage production but encourages temporary production only of fodder by tillage growers," the Department of Agriculture said.
Are there any quality criteria?
The crop must be grown to commercial requirements and the recommended seeding and fertilisation rates must be adhered to. The crop must be grown on lands declared as tillage in your 2018 BPS application.
What species can I sow? Where do I apply? What are the deadlines?
The full terms and conditions of the scheme and applications form are due to be published on the Department's website 'shortly'.
Is there enough money for all farmers applying?
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has said that he secured funding from his finance colleague Paschal Donohoe for €2.75m. This would be enough to support up to 17,700ha of short-rotation grass or 27,500ha of catch crops. The Department is targeting a mix of crops covering 23,000ha.
How much fodder will this deliver for livestock farmers?
For argument's sake, let's assume the Department target of 23,000ha is entirely covered with short-rotation grass. If that crop delivers 4tDM/ha in two cuts over the winter, that's a total of 92,000tDM, or just under half a million tonnes of fresh silage at 20% DM.
This is 5% of the 9mt silage shortage expected by Teagasc and co-ops this coming winter.
Read more
€2.75m scheme for tillage farmers to grow fodder
Drought relief: what can Minister Creed do?
More flexibility for GLAS farmers to conserve fodder
Department backtracks on GLAS fallow land derogation
Fodder shortfall the equivalent of 2.4m tonnes of concentrate
Defining week for Minister Creed
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