The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has called on the Government to deliver a new slurry storage scheme under Budget 2024.

It said such a scheme would see “all farmers with or without current slurry storage requirements” allowed to construct slurry capacity in 2024 and 2025, with 60% grant funding.

The ICMSA made the demand in its pre-budget submission. The farm body has also called for the universal social charge (USC) to be abolished or reduced and for the equalisation of the USC rate for self-employed people with an income over €100,000.

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It has called for the Government to invest in the measures required by farmers under the new Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC), along with “substantial funding” for the measures outlined from the Food Vision groups set up for the dairy, beef and sheep, and tillage sectors.

Furthermore, it said that tax relief should be made available to dairy farmers on any exit or reduction scheme.

An ACRES programme, which would cover an additional 20,000 farms, has also been called for. This scheme must “be structured to incentivise intensive farmers to implement climate, biodiversity, and water quality measures”.

The farm body also called for full funding for the BVD programme in 2024, along with an allowance for farmers to claim VAT back on farm safety equipment, cattle handling equipment, and clothing.

Tax reliefs

The ICMSA has called for consanguinity relief, which is due to expire on 31 December 2023, to be extended in next year’s budget and for stamp duty to be reduced to 3% for agricultural land sales. The current rate is 7.5%.

It also wants Budget 2024 to provide for a reduction in the 33% rate of Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT) to 25% and the retention of the various agricultural reliefs.

It has called for the introduction of an occupational benefit for the self-employed and for a retrospective process where spouses and women actively working on farms are eligible for the contributory pension.

Renewables

The ICMSA has also called for funding for digesters and co-operatives to invest in anaerobic digesters.

It has also demanded a reduced VAT rate on renewable products and services, and for an energy assessment grant to be made available for farmer sole traders.