Last Wednesdays picket by the Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association outside
Department Of Agriculture Offices in Portlaoise is starting to deliver results. The picket, was organised by the IrishNatura & Hill Farmers Association to highlight the hold up in payments under the Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme, has delivered
a meeting with senior Department of Agriculture officials this coming Wednesday and a promise to have all of these payments cleared by Christmas.
INHFA National Chair Brendan O Malley outlined how the hold up in these payments always seems to affect the farmers most reliant on this scheme and while the commitment given to have payments cleared by Christmas is positive we have to improve on this.
Mr O Malley stated that “at Wednesdays meeting we will be focusing on how in future years we can get payments cleared to all farmers by the end of September and ensure farmers on commonages are treated as individuals and
not a collective” He then added that “on Wednesday we will also be looking to make progress on GLAS, the Beef Data & Genomics Scheme and land eligibility which is still a major concern to many farmers especially those on designated land”
