Ireland announces new investment schemes for livestock

Irish minister for agriculture, fisheries and food Brendan Smith has announced details of two new on-farm investment schemes designed to improve the standards of animal welfare in sow housing and for poultry production.

The schemes - worth up to EUR29 million - are part of a EUR113 million targeted scheme for on-farm investment to support a series of specific categories of farmers and focused on supporting productive investment, and are part of the revised Rural Development Plan 2007-2013. They follow an earlier EUR54 million grassland sheep scheme, which the minister launched in April.

"They represent a significant investment of a maximum of almost EUR30 million in two key areas of production and will be of considerable benefit to pig farmers in the conversion of loose housing for sows as well as assisting poultry producers in the conversion to enriched cages, free range or barn systems," Smith said.

Under the terms of both schemes, grant-aid will be available at a standard rate of 40% for investment in sow housing and laying hen facilities, which will meet the standards laid down in the relevant EU Directives on animal welfare.

Both schemes are now open and applications for the new schemes will be accepted by the Department up to the end of June 2011, for poultry producers, and the end of June 2012, in the case of sow house investments.

However, IFA pigs committee chairman Tim Cullinan said that the introduction of the scheme, while welcome is not enough to help pig producers comply with the regulations. Farmers in this sector already have to meet very high animal welfare standards imposed by EU Regulations but the fact remains that these costs are not reflected in market prices.

Cullinan added, "Naturally a high standard of welfare is of the most utmost importance to Irish pig meat producers but European policies must allow producers to farm in an economically sustainable manner. Pig producers have suffered the worst losses ever recorded in the last number of years between low prices and high feed costs."

"Minister Brendan Smith must now make it a priority issue to extend the implementation date or secure in Europe provisions to protect Irish farmers from lower standard imports and excessive regulations," he concluded.