The Irish government is to spend €1.9bn in the seven years to 2020 on the farming sector.
The sum is to be added to the €2.2bn EU allocation already approved for rural development.
When EU funding of €8.5 bn for direct payments to farmers is included the ag sector in the south will receive more than €12.5bn in funding in the period to 2020. That is sure to give the sector a substantial boost in the years to come. There’s a new agri-environment scheme in the pipeline - called GLAS (green, low-carbon, agri-environment scheme), this could be worth €5,000 per farmer.
There’s an artisan producers grant aid package, and on farm investment incentives for sustainable expansion.
All in all there will be an injection of funds for those savvy enough to apply for them and keep abreast of developments.
