THE IFA is seeking an urgent meeting with Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, over Department proposals to delay this year’s farm scheme payments by up to four weeks in cases.

National and regional IFA representatives have this week called on Minister McConalogue ‘to come out of hiding’ on the issue and to give a guarantee that payments will not be delayed this year.

According to farm leaders the stalled payments for this yar were presented to them as ‘a fait accompli’ with no negotiation or input from farm representatives.

IFA President Tim Cullinan said the delays would mean that ANC payments would be pushed out by four weeks [Sept. 20 to Oct. 20) while the Basic Payment would slip back by two weeks into November.

“The Minister must come out of hiding on the issue and give an assurance to farmers that their payments will be on the same dates as last year. The Dept has acted unilaterally,” he said.

Connacht IFA Chair, Pat Murphy, told the Farming Tribune, that there was absolutely ‘no reason in the world’ why payment dates would have to be shoved back.

“It’s still only April – nearly five months away from the usual start of payments date – surely to God, with all the technology and software expertise that’s around, there’s ample time to get this money out on time,” said Pat Murphy.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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