Clare farmers must be supported in climate action measures
With the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showing that the agricultural sector is playing a significant role in cutting the level of greenhouse gas emissions, it is clear that Clare farmers have taken the call to action seriously and are delivering for climate action.
That’s the view of Fine Gael General Election candidate Leonora Carey who said the EPA figures confirmed that a 2.6% decrease in emissions from agriculture during the first quarter of 2024 was achieved by a reduction in the use of fertiliser and less intensive dairy farming.
Speaking after a meeting with Clare farm leaders earlier this week, Ms Carey said that farmers were fully committed to producing food sustainably, but they needed Government support to achieve this.
“It is vital that payments are made in a timely manner and this is particularly important in the case of agri-environmental schemes such as the ACRES programme where farmers have complained about payments not coming at agreed times,” she explained.
“Despite the higher prices for beef overall, margins remain tight and the dependence on support and scheme payments continues for the majority of beef farms.
“The recent budget was a significant step in that direction with increased support for suckler farmers. Payments under the National Beef Welfare Scheme will rise from €50 to €75 per calf. Taken with the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Scheme, this will deliver payments of up to €225 per cow while funding under the Dairy Calf Welfare Scheme will also increase from €20 to €40 per calf.
“Farmers will also benefit from changes to inheritance tax thresholds secured by Fine Gael. This reform is particularly important for family farms, helping to ease the financial burden experienced by many Clare farmers in passing farms from one generation to the next.
“We are also strengthening the protections around agricultural relief to ensure this support goes to genuine farmers, and not wealthy investors,” Ms Carey declared.
“Key tasks facing the government in delivering a just climate transition include the need to maximise employment opportunities, and to support people and communities that may be most negatively affected.
“Government needs to communicate the opportunities and incentivise proven measures for farmers, suppliers and the wider agricultural industry. Key areas of impactful gains include the accelerated roll out of protected urea fertiliser, increased uptake of methane reducing feed and manure additives and also the early finishing of livestock.
“Earlier this week, thousands of Clare farmers received advance payments under the 2024 Eco-Scheme when €206 million was paid out to 110,450 farmers throughout the country for undertaking actions beneficial to the climate, environment, water quality and biodiversity.
“Eco-Scheme payments are a vital support for farmers and the payment rate in 2024 will be €66.50 per eligible hectare. This brings the total advance payments on the Eco-Scheme, Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) to more than €712 million over the past two weeks,” Ms Carey added.
PHOTO: Leonora Carey with Fine Gael MEP Nina Carberry and Tom Holmes at Sixmilebridge Mart.