Pig and poultry farmers to benefit from €17m investment

Irish farmers will be able to benefit from a €17 million investment scheme for the pig and poultry sector, the Department of Agriculture has announced.

The Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme is part of the TAMS (Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme) II Scheme, which is providing a total of €395 million for agricultural investments.

Speaking on Thursday, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney said he hoped pig and poultry farmers will take a serious look at the opportunities the scheme presented.

“This investment of €17 million reflects my department’s ongoing commitment to the growth potential of this important sector and to the modernisation of farming in Ireland,” he said.

The areas of investment covered by the scheme include medicine dispenser units, feed system upgrades, energy efficiency upgrades for animal housing and disease reduction facilities for poultry houses.

A spokesperson for the Irish Farmers’ Association welcomed the announcement, saying: “The scheme will assist farmers in improving the efficiency of their businesses in sectors which operate under extremely tight margins and which face ongoing challenges in relation to regulations and competition from imports.”

Farmers who meet the eligibility criteria can claim funding at a rate of 40 per cent on investment up to a ceiling of €80,000.