The new Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Barry Cowen has confirmed the Government’s commitment to ringfencing €1.5bn for a new REPS for farmers.
In an exclusive interview with the Irish Farmers Journal, he said: “There is a huge commitment for a €1.5bn package for REPS. I want to reiterate that commitment.
“We are working with officials and stakeholders to ensure that we can meet that commitment [and] that there is no gap for those for whom the GLAS scheme comes to an end next year.”
The newly appointed minister also committed to designing and rolling out the €50m COVID-19 compensation fund for the beef sector within weeks.
Industry sources indicate a willingness within the Department of Agriculture to use 2019 as a reference year for payment to beef finishers.
In further good news for livestock farmers, Minister Cowen believes farming can meet its environmental obligations without cutting the national herd: “I don’t buy into this concept that you cut the herd."
“There was no undue burden ever going to be placed on agriculture,” he said.
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