Payment delays

The IFA met the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney last week and made it clear that the payment delays farmers are encountering are totally unacceptable.

The IFA has urged the minister to make an advance payment to every farmer who has not yet been paid.

Keep updated at www.ifa.ie.

Dairy lobby

The National Dairy Committee is actively lobbying co-op board members to hold the October milk price. The committee is constructively engaging with co-op board members, firstly to seek that they hold the milk price, and secondly to discuss further support options going into next spring. See the latest dairy newsletter at www.ifa.ie.

TAMS approvals

IFA rural development chair Flor McCarthy has demanded that Minister Coveney address approvals for TAMS II, so that farmers can proceed with critical investment on their farms. The young farmers’ scheme closed weeks ago and the delay in approvals is particularly acute for dairy farmers who have an investment opportunity window.

Borrowing costs

IFA president Eddie Downey has said the high cost of borrowing faced by farmers who are investing in their businesses is unacceptable and must be addressed. The latest figures from the Central Bank show conditions for SMEs, including farm businesses, are tougher in Ireland than almost anywhere else in the eurozone.

Theft Stop

Theft Stop is a practical theft prevention initiative developed by the IFA in partnership with An Garda Síochana. It is designed to both deter criminals and to recover stolen items by ensuring machinery is marked with a unique ID and allowing details to be registered on Theft Stop’s nationwide database. Register on www.theftstop.ie.