31 October 2017
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The start of the 70% advance of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) will see over €700 million sent out to 111,000 farmers across the country. 11,548 farmers in Cork will benefit from payments totalling €93,154,553, Fine Gael Senator, Tim Lombard, has said.
Senator Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) has a farm based outside Carrigaline, Co Cork and represents the views of Cork residents in the Seanad
“This advance payment is a welcome support for farmers here in Cork, and payments should have starting hitting bank accounts already.
“My Fine Gael colleague Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed has also confirmed that the level of the advance payment has been set at 70% this year, rather than 50% as provided for in the EU legislation.
“These payments will benefit over 11,000 farmers here in Cork and will have positive knock on effects to our rural communities as a whole.
“The remaining 30% and other BPS-related payments such as Young Farmer Scheme and National Reserve top-ups will be paid in December.
“The Agriculture and Food sector is a strategic priority for Fine Gael. We recognise that farming families are the heartbeat of the rural economy, and our vision for the sector will inspire the next generation to continue the tradition of family farming,” Senator Lombard said.
Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed added that “the advance BPS payment and the ANC payments taken together mean that over €880 million has now issued to Irish farmers in the last month. These payments provide a significant financial boost for individual farmers and the wider rural economy.
“I was delighted to secure an increase in the ANC scheme allocation for 2018. This €25 million increase will provide direct financial support to farmers in the most marginal areas of the Country.”
