Farmers to receive early premiums payment of ?450m

Irish farmers will receive advance premia payments of just over €450 million, €90 million more than they expected, from October…

Irish farmers will receive advance premia payments of just over €450 million, €90 million more than they expected, from October 16th next, because of the bad weather on the continent.

Farmers last year received 80 per cent of the advance EU bovine livestock payments they were due rather than the normal 60 per cent and this started a political row because it took place in the run-up to the election.

The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mr Walsh, had successfully argued that Irish farmers needed the additional 20 per cent because of the poor harvest conditions and bad prices.

This year following the best summer in Ireland for years, the farmers will receive 80 per cent of their payments up front because of the difficulties mainland European farmers have had with poor weather conditions.

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Mainland European farmers have had a dreadful year with prolonged drought in many member states, especially France, Italy and Spain. Crop yields are expected to drop by 25 per cent.

Irish farmers will be getting €450 million of the €1 billion they can expect from livestock scheme in the coming year.

The expectation is that they will receive just over €1 billion in premia on animals, €200 million in area aid payments, which were formally known as headage payments and the remainder of the overall payment of €1.6 billion will comprise of early retirement and REPS payments.

While French wine growers are expecting their best ever harvest this year, their truffle growers face a very poor year.

Although the harvest will not begin for two months, truffle farmers are warning that the heatwave over France last month has destroyed at least half their crop. Producers have warned that by Christmas the price is likely to be double its normal level, reaching the record-breaking sum of €1,000 a kilogram.