Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1981. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has considered extending the €1,000 incentive to grow silage to small dairy farmers in designated disadvantaged areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30160/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy may be aware that on 3rd May 2022, I brought a Memorandum for Information to Government on a proposed Fodder Support Scheme, in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022 and the significant impact this has had on the cost of agricultural inputs required to conserve grass for silage and/or hay. Since then, there has further engagement between my officials and officials in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I intend to make a further announcement shortly when the scheme will be opened for online applications.

Any Fodder Support Scheme must be targeted towards those farmers facing the greatest difficulty in ensuring they conserve enough fodder for the coming winter. In that context, recent Teagasc survey data showed that half of all drystock farmers had spread no chemical fertiliser on their silage ground whereas dairy famers had spread their chemical fertiliser. Therefore the risk of not saving sufficient fodder is more of a challenge for the drystock farmers than it is for dairy farmers. In addition, in light of current milk prices, the economic viability of Dairy farming in general, is stronger than either beef or sheep farming.