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Donegal sheep
farmers will benefit from Fianna Fail’s proposed
funding package of support measures, according to
local Dáil candidate, Niall Blaney.
“The funding for some of the proposals is in the
Rural Development Programme currently with the
European Commission for approval. The rest of the
funding will come from the Public Services Estimates
for Government," he said.
“There is a new supplementary measure aimed at sheep
farmers who are already major beneficiaries. There
are currently 22,000 farmers in the scheme and this
is expected to increase to 80% of sheep farmers.”
It is proposed that payment will be at the rate of
€50 per hectare on up to 20 hectares for farmers
maintaining sheep numbers equivalent to a stocking
density of at least three or four sheep per
qualifying hectare.
Mr. Blaney said: “Maximum payment of €1,000 per year
would be paid to a farmer who has at least 20
hectares of lowland and keeps a minimum of 70 sheep
with three cows increasing the average REPS payment.
"A special measure for sheep farmers has also been
proposed under the Single Payment Scheme National
Reserve, which will benefit sheep farmers with
commonage land and a relatively low stock.”
He said funding would also be provided for
developing a sheep breed improvement programme.
“Support is also proposed for the sheep processing
sector to increase the efficiency and
competitiveness in the sheep meat processing sector.
The Department will provide special funding of up to
€1.2m over the next three years to kick-start the
establishment and operation of a Quality Assurance
Scheme for Lamb along the lines of the support
currently provided for beef scheme."
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