DEAR EDITOR,

I am becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Government’s approach to agriculture and in particular how Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon is treating smaller farmers.

I read with great disbelief two stories on the Irish Farmers Journal phone app regarding the fertiliser scheme and fuel scheme.

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The minimum amount of fertiliser eligible for payment is 2.5t.

This may not seem like much, but I presume many farmers like myself cut back on their fertiliser use as they just could not afford to spread as much as they normally do.

The minister could have easily followed a fairer approach whereby every farmer who applied fertiliser got the minimum €100 support payment. The story said the details were being taken from the fertiliser database so there was no saving in time in processing applications from farmers who applied less than 2.5t and I imagine it would only have used up a small portion of the funds.

I am also disappointed that farm organisations have not supported smaller farmers on this..

Then later today [Tuesday], I see that the fuel scheme is being extended. I narrowly missed out on the minimum threshold when the scheme opened earlier this year. I would have easily met the threshold if the usage for the actual period was used and not diluted by months when smaller farmers carry out less tractor work.

The fact that only half the funds were paid out speaks volumes about how the scheme was designed and now farmers like myself are being excluded from the scheme extension.

It is simply not good enough to say that farmers who applied despite not meeting the threshold are now being accommodated.

Any change in the terms of the scheme should mean the scheme should be opened again for farmers who are now eligible. It is not good enough to dismiss everyone else.

And don’t get me started on the delayed BISS / CRISS payments and the Minister overseeing an EU CAP budget cut of 24%.