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The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, TD, today announced that he has approved provisional payments of 75% of the aid payable under the 2013 Imported Fodder Transport Scheme. ‘I have decided that these provisional payments should be made as soon as possible as I am anxious that aid be disbursed as quickly as possible’ the Minister explained.

The Minister noted that, while the official documentation required under the Scheme had been kept to an absolute minimum - one single, two-sided page - the associated transport, purchase, etc, documentation required is, naturally, quite voluminous; therefore, by deciding to make these provisional payments immediately, participants in the Scheme will receive the aid in the coming days, while processing remains ongoing to make the full payments.

‘In light of the difficulties experienced by farmers in sourcing fodder supplies, earlier this year I announced the allocation of funding for an imported fodder transport scheme, designed to reduce the cost to farmers of imported forage (hay, silage, haylage) from outside the island of Ireland’ the Minister explained. The aid substantially covered the cost of transport into the country, thus reducing the cost to farmers of a bale of hay by approximately one third.

While the scheme operated through the co-operatives, marts and other approved agencies, the actual beneficiaries are the individual farmers and primary producers who needed urgent supplies of feed. Operating the scheme in this manner was the quickest and most effective way of getting the fodder to those who needed it.

Payments worth in excess of €1 million will issue immediately and further payments, both provisional and final are due to issue in the coming days. However, there remain some 20 concerns, with whom the Department are in direct contact, who have yet to submit their claims. It is expected that these will be submitted shortly.