Farmers' group calls for reversal of concrete levy
Be Troughs Concrete The By Farm Many Will And Affected Products Are Levy Water Now
A farm leader has claimed that the 10% levy on ready mix concrete, as well as on other products including blocks, announced in the budget will have huge implications for farmers.
Several Dáil deputies have also expressed reservations over the levy, but Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien defended the decision to offset the cost of the €2.7bn Mica grant scheme. Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association president, Dermot Kelleher, said he was stunned by the move.
It will impact many farms that need a load of ready mix for upgrades. It may also impact various concrete products.
He said the ICSA will be engaging with the detail of this issue. Many water troughs are now concrete products.
“Obviously, it will have huge implications for any farmer building a slatted tank, slurry or silage storage or grain storage facilities.
“We are calling on the Government to look at this again. This will overshadow the announcement of accelerated capital allowances for slurry storage (two-year write-off rather than seven years),” he said.
However, Mr Kelleher welcomed a €28m allocation for an additional suckler scheme as well as another year of the fodder support scheme. But he said that beef finishers and sheep farmers will be very disappointed that there is no targeted support for them.
Mr Kelleher added that the budget tax measures are broadly positive but not enough was being done to help the sector with the inordinate increase in diesel costs and there was little to help farmers deliver on the extremely challenging climate targets they have been given.
