This article is from page 46 of the 2008-11-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 46 JPG
THERE was some good news for Clare farmers yesterday with the an- nouncement that the Department of Agriculture have started payments under the Suckler Welfare Scheme.
Payments amounting to €80 per cow will continue on a rolling basis in respect of the 2008 born calves, as additional animals become eligible.
“These payments will be worth some €77 million in respect of 2008 born calves for the 53,000 applicants in the scheme and payments will continue into 2009,’ said Munister Brendan Smith.
“It is expected that up to €33 mil- lion will be paid this year, and a further €44 million paid in 2009 in
respect of cows that calved in 2008. The sooner farmers complete these important returns the sooner these cases can be processed.
The Department is now issuing letters to farmers where there were queries and farmers are urged to re- ply as quickly as possible to any cor- respondence in relation to Suckler Welfare Scheme.
Clare and Galway farmers can get more information by ringing 1890 252 707 while Limerick farmers should ring 1890 252 822.
Meanwhile, the Minister also con- tacted EU Commissioner Fischer Boel last week to express his serious concern about the current weakness in dairy product prices.
Minister Smith called on the Com-
missioner to introduce early supports for the sector in order to restore con- fidence and put a floor under current market prices.
During the Health Check nego- tiations Minister Smith had made crystal clear his view that the criti- cal market management mechanisms underpinning the sector must be maintained throughout the transition period to the ending of supply con- trols in 2015, in order to deal with periods of volatility that could arise.
“These mechanisms must retain their essential characteristics and should be used when necessary to respond to developments on interna- tional markets,” he said.
‘Now would be an appropriate time to demonstrate responsiveness to dif-
ficult market conditions by deploying the market management tools at her disposal.
Despite current difficulties, Minis- ter Smith believes that the medium term prognosis for the international dairy sector is extremely positive.
“There are significant new oppor- tunities for growth in Irish dairy product sales arising from world population growth and GDP growth in developing counties and in Asia,” he said.
“The immediate outlook necessi- tates that the Commission acts now to restore confidence in the market and in so doing provide a reassuring signal to stakeholders of its willing- ness to act decisively when there is a perceptible need in the market.”