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Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue, T.D., today announced that advance payments to farmers under the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme have commenced. 

Announcing the payments, Minister McConalogue said,

“I am pleased to announce that my Department has commenced issuing advance payments under the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme to over 67,000 eligible applicants this week. Each farmer will receive an advance payment of 57% of their total payment due in 2023. 

“These payments, along with the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme payments issued in recent weeks, will further assist farmers in dealing with the increase in agricultural input costs, in particular for chemical fertliliser, and the impact that will have on the quantity of fodder produced and conserved next year.”

The 2023 Scheme is a continuance of the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme and aims to incentivise in particular, drystock farmers, to grow fodder (silage and/or hay) in 2023 to ensure the maximum amount of cattle and sheep feed is grown. . Successful applicants for the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme were eligible to apply for the 2023 Scheme. 

Minister McConalogue added, 

“The initial budget for the Fodder Support Scheme is €30 million, with an overall payment rate of up to €100 per hectare. I have stated previously that I will continue to monitor the situation around the price of agricultural inputs into 2023 and, in the event that they remain high, I will be seeking additional funding for this Scheme”

As part of the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme, applicants agreed to the terms and conditions of the scheme which clearly state that where an applicant fails to deliver some or all of the Scheme requirements in 2023, recoupment of some or all of the monies already paid will apply. Applicants need to be mindful of this when cutting silage and/or hay in 2023 on the areas declared in the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme. 

Applicants will have an opportunity to amend the area declared for the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme when the Scheme’s online system reopens in the period May/June 2023.

The Minister concluded,

“I also take this opportunity to encourage any participants in the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme that received correspondence from my Department to respond promptly to ensure no further delay to their payments”. 

The Minister encouraged any farmers with queries in relation to the Fodder Support Scheme to direct them by email to fss@agriculture.gov.ie

Notes to the Editor: 

• Farmers who have been accepted into the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme are eligible to apply for the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme.
• The online system will re-open in May-June 2023 to allow applicants amend their declared area/withdraw from the Scheme.
• The maximum area eligible for payment under the scheme is 10 hectares with a potential maximum payment of €1,000.
• Where the Scheme is oversubscribed, the payment rate per hectare will be less than €100 per hectare. In this scenario, the Department will reduce the payment rate for all hectares or maintain the rate of €100 per hectare on the first few hectares and reduce it on the latter hectares.
• Advance payments commenced in December 2022, with balancing payments being made in Quarter 4 2023. The Terms & Conditions of the Scheme are available on the Department’s website and can be viewed at gov.ie - Fodder Support Scheme (www.gov.ie)