The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been allocated €2.141 billion to spend in Budget 2023.
This will be divided between €1.689 billion in gross current expenditure and €452 million in gross capital expenditure. These figures are an increase of €114 million and €135 million respectively on the 2022 allocation.
Documents released by the government today (Tuesday, September 27) say that funding has been targeted to drive the sector’s environmental ambition, and will be rolled out through new multi-annual programmes beginning in 2023.
Over €500 million in funding has been provided in 2023 specifically allocated for agri-environmental actions.
Outside of expenditure on pay and pensions (which combined amount to just under €400 million), the department’s budget will be allocated across four programmes.
These programmes are:
- Programme A (Food safety; animal and plant health; and animal welfare) – €383.7 million;
- Programme B (Farm/sector supports and controls) – €985.9 million;
- Programme C (Policy and Strategy) – €485 million;
- Programme D (Seafood sector) – €335.6 million.
Under Programme A, funding derived from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) will be used to support the safe disposal of certain animal byproducts.
Under Programme B, the government’s 2023 expenditure will be used to: Expand the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS); roll out new schemes as part of the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); continue to incentivise the growth of tillage crops; and fund a new forestry programme.
Details emerged yesterday evening of what supports will be included for farmers in Budget 2023.
Agriland understands that Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue is to provide details of how the government is supporting farmers dealing with the fallout from the war in Ukraine.
There had been concern that with the ending of the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Sucklers (BEEP-S), there would be no future support for the suckler sector.
However, it’s understood the agriculture minister is putting in place a similar new scheme with the same level of funding as BEEP-S, amounting to approximately €28 million.
The new scheme will run in tandem with the €150/cow Suckler Carbon Efficiency Scheme in the new CAP.
The minister is also expected to unveil a new Fodder Support Scheme which will pay farmers up to €1,000 to save hay and fodder in 2023.
In a bid to help farmers deal with high fertiliser prices, the budget will include provision for an enhanced Multi-species Sward Measure / Red Clover Silage Measure, along with the introduction of a new €8 million grant aid scheme to support the spreading of lime.