Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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1221. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the tillage compensation fund agreed. [36681/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that this week my Department launched a targeted crop loss support measure to assist growers most affected by the wet weather harvest conditions of September 2016.

As I have said before, while many farmers experienced difficult challenges last year, this was particularly the case for a number of cereal farmers who experienced an exceptionally difficult harvest and resulting yield losses for certain spring crops. This is a very important sector to the agricultural economy, making a vital contribution to both the food and feedstuffs sector. While I am keenly aware that the very difficult harvest conditions of September 2016 posed additional problems for many growers, it was important that any measure put in place was focused and targeted at those most impacted whilst also ensuring prudent expenditure of public finances. I am satisfied that the measure I have introduced addresses both of these requirements.

This measure will provide a financial contribution of up to €200 per hectare up to a maximum of 35 hectares per eligible applicant towards the cost of uninsured spring cereals crop losses in excess of 30% by yield. Particularly hard hit growers who experienced cereal crop losses in excess of 50% will benefit from an additional €100 per hectare. Application forms including details on eligibility for the Crop Loss Support Measure are now available on my Department’s website and from the Department’s local office network. Closing date for submission of applications will be Friday 25 August.

This new support measure, together with the Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme I introduced last autumn, the current Tillage investment scheme under TAMS II that I introduced earlier this year and provisions supportive of the tillage sector under the GLAS scheme will, when taken together, provide significant support for this essential sector and further underline my ongoing support to securing its future.