Denise Rafferty, Ballinode,
Co Monaghan - Sheep
“Any extra money you get for sheep is always welcome, given the fact it was such a bad year. From my own point of view, the stamp duty relief gives a more positive outlook as well. For the women TAMS grant, the upper limit would be very useful for me.
Monaghan sheep farmer Denise Rafferty. \ Philip Doyle
“I didn’t go into ACRES but it’s possibly something I’d look at now.
“It’s got to the stage where all that money is very important for your bottom line.
“It leaves you with a bit of extra money to invest into the farm.”
Fearghal
Sullivan,
Rhode, Co Offaly - Dairy
“The budget was cut for agriculture. They want us to do much more on the environment and they’re giving us less. It’s not a farmer-friendly budget. There’s nothing for dairy farmers in it. If they want us to do more on the environment, they’re going to have to budget for it.
Offaly dairy farmer Fearghal Sullivan. \ Claire Nash
“If you’re in an area where there’s not a lot of tillage, [the 70% TAMS grant for storage for slurry imports] is not going to benefit us. I’m not set up for the ACRES or organics either. I won’t be looking at those.”
Mike McDonagh, Recess, Co Galway - Sucklers and sheep
“The extra money for ACRES, it’s hard to know what to do. The organics is all well and good but to buy in the meal, it costs as well. “You’re not going to hit the weights so you’re at the mercy of the prices in the marts.
“What they’re asking for with these Sheep Improvement and National Beef Welfare Schemes, the difference isn’t there.
Galway suckler and sheep farmer Mike McDonagh.
“It’s hard to get [the measures] all done and the cost of them is high. That suckler cow scheme is a bit of a joke. You’re losing money.”
Alan Reid, Castletown Geoghegan,
Co Westmeath - Dairy
“I didn’t think much of the budget. My thinking is that in this budget, they’re trying to get rid of farmers altogether. Even with the [extended agricultural] reliefs, the young farmers still won’t come home. The paperwork and everything, it isn’t farming.
Westmeath dairy farmer Alan Reid.
“This bit was a joke – give tillage farmers a grant to take our slurry and we pay them for it too? You wouldn’t find tillage land around here. The ACRES and the organics won’t work for us at all.”
Alan Hurley, Clonakilty, Co Cork
- Tillage
“There was not a lot in the budget to help us. They only gave us €11/ac [from Brussels].
“The last Tillage Incentive Scheme was kind of hopeless. If your ground was already in tillage, you weren’t going to get anything out of it. If they want fellas to stick in it, they should have done more for us.
Cork tillage farmer Alan Hurley. \ Andy Gibson.
“The reliefs are obviously helpful. It’ll all depend on what the next Government does with them. Any supports would be welcome for tillage farmers after the year that’s been.”
Denise Rafferty, Ballinode,
Co Monaghan - Sheep
“Any extra money you get for sheep is always welcome, given the fact it was such a bad year. From my own point of view, the stamp duty relief gives a more positive outlook as well. For the women TAMS grant, the upper limit would be very useful for me.
Monaghan sheep farmer Denise Rafferty. \ Philip Doyle
“I didn’t go into ACRES but it’s possibly something I’d look at now.
“It’s got to the stage where all that money is very important for your bottom line.
“It leaves you with a bit of extra money to invest into the farm.”
Fearghal
Sullivan,
Rhode, Co Offaly - Dairy
“The budget was cut for agriculture. They want us to do much more on the environment and they’re giving us less. It’s not a farmer-friendly budget. There’s nothing for dairy farmers in it. If they want us to do more on the environment, they’re going to have to budget for it.
Offaly dairy farmer Fearghal Sullivan. \ Claire Nash
“If you’re in an area where there’s not a lot of tillage, [the 70% TAMS grant for storage for slurry imports] is not going to benefit us. I’m not set up for the ACRES or organics either. I won’t be looking at those.”
Mike McDonagh, Recess, Co Galway - Sucklers and sheep
“The extra money for ACRES, it’s hard to know what to do. The organics is all well and good but to buy in the meal, it costs as well. “You’re not going to hit the weights so you’re at the mercy of the prices in the marts.
“What they’re asking for with these Sheep Improvement and National Beef Welfare Schemes, the difference isn’t there.
Galway suckler and sheep farmer Mike McDonagh.
“It’s hard to get [the measures] all done and the cost of them is high. That suckler cow scheme is a bit of a joke. You’re losing money.”
Alan Reid, Castletown Geoghegan,
Co Westmeath - Dairy
“I didn’t think much of the budget. My thinking is that in this budget, they’re trying to get rid of farmers altogether. Even with the [extended agricultural] reliefs, the young farmers still won’t come home. The paperwork and everything, it isn’t farming.
Westmeath dairy farmer Alan Reid.
“This bit was a joke – give tillage farmers a grant to take our slurry and we pay them for it too? You wouldn’t find tillage land around here. The ACRES and the organics won’t work for us at all.”
Alan Hurley, Clonakilty, Co Cork
- Tillage
“There was not a lot in the budget to help us. They only gave us €11/ac [from Brussels].
“The last Tillage Incentive Scheme was kind of hopeless. If your ground was already in tillage, you weren’t going to get anything out of it. If they want fellas to stick in it, they should have done more for us.
Cork tillage farmer Alan Hurley. \ Andy Gibson.
“The reliefs are obviously helpful. It’ll all depend on what the next Government does with them. Any supports would be welcome for tillage farmers after the year that’s been.”
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