The opening of the Fuel Support Scheme for Specialist Horticulture has been announced by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon and Minister of State with responsibility for horticulture Niall Collins.
The scheme will provide a once-off payment to specialist horticulture growers to help mitigate the continued increases in fuel costs.
It forms part of the €100m allocated by Government for fuel income supports for farmers, fishers and agricultural contractors in response to the Middle East crisis.
Eligibility for the scheme will be based on recorded fuel usage for the primary production of specialist horticulture crops last year and will remain open for online applications until midnight Wednesday 24 June.
Announcing the opening of the scheme, Minister Heydon acknowledged the cost input pressure the sector has been under in recent years and said “the support provided under this scheme will help to mitigate against the additional fuel costs faced by growers”.
Eligibility
The Fuel Support Scheme for Specialist Horticulture is open to commercial horticulture growers producing tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, strawberries, chillies, herbs and hydroponically grown lettuce in an eligible structure using an eligible fuel.
As this scheme is being implemented under the temporary crisis framework set up by the European Commission and all applicable state aid rules, payments will only be made to applicants once state aid approval has been received by the Department.
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