Budget 2021: €1.8bn for Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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€1.8bn has been allocated to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine from Budget 2021.
The money will be earmarked for agri-environmental schemes, a new food ombudsman and will provide supports to the various sectors.
The allocation is €179m more than the gross funding provided in Budget 2020 and is an11% increase on the allocation in Budget 2020.
Minister Charlie McConalogue said the backdrop to this year’s budget was unprecedented and came at a time of transition between the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2014-2020, and the new one.
“My priority was to ensure that this transition did not result in any gap in funding for farmers,” he added.
“I wanted to maintain supports for vulnerable sectors without losing focus on the strategic development of agriculture and food.
“I also wanted to lay the foundations for a major new agri-environment scheme to support farm incomes and incentivise climate and environmental action into the future.
“I am pleased that all of these key objectives have been achieved while providing significantly increased support for sectors such as horticulture and organics, and in areas such as strategic research and innovation, marketing and promotion, and investment in the sea fisheries sector.” With an additional €39m provided for staff and infrastructure the Department will be in a position to fulfil its expanded control obligations at ports and airports to facilitate trade in agri-food products following the end of the Brexit Transition period.
€3.4bn in recovery funding will support all sectors, including the agri-food and fisheries sectors particularly affected by a no-deal Brexit and Covid-19.
Meanwhile, €79m for a number of pilot measures in the agri-environment area has also been allocated and this will contribute to the development of a pilot scheme to encourage environmental action from farmers who are not currently in GLAS as well as a number of pilot environmental actions that will be available to farmers on a broader basis.
The Budget also provided €102m in targeted supports for livestock farming.
This includes over €40m for the extension of the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) during the transition period as well as €40m for the Beef Sector Efficiency Pilot, based on the BEEP-S and €5m for a new calf-weighing measure to support beef farmers rearing dairy calves.
€17m is also being provided for the extension of the Sheep Welfare Scheme.
€80m has been earmarked for TAMS which aims to support investment on farms and the continuation of the scheme.
€1m has been set aside to assist with startup costs in the establishment of a Food Ombudsman while €13m is being provided for the continued promotion of the environmentally sustainable development of fisheries, aquaculture and wider seafood industry.
The provision will also allow the Marine Institute to progress the construction of a new €25m modern research vessel and provide additional funding for the development of fisheries harbours.
