IFA Calls for Urgent Changes to Hardship Grant as Drought Adds Pressure on TB Restricted Farms

IFA Animal Health Chair David Hall has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon to make changes urgently to the TB Hardship Grant to provide greater support to farmers, forced to carry additional stock because of a TB restriction.

David Hall said the current drought conditions are putting significant additional pressure on farmers, with the impact being particularly severe on farms that are under TB restriction and unable to move or sell animals as they normally would.

“The current Hardship Grant is simply not adequate to meet the costs these farmers are facing. The rates are outdated and do not come close to covering the cost of feeding and maintaining these additional animals,” the IFA Animal Health Chair said.

The current Hardship Grant is paid for a maximum of four months during the period from November 1st to April 30th. The payment is based on the number of additional animals retained on the holding compared with the same month in the previous year.

The current rates are €30 per dairy cow, €50 per suckler cow and €30 for other bovines, subject to a maximum payment of €300 per month.

IFA are calling for several changes to the scheme and have raised these with the Minister for Agriculture.

• The eligibility period should be brought forward to September 1st reflecting the large amount of feeding already taking place on farms
• The grant must cover the entire period to the end of April once a herd is restricted from September 1st onwards, farmers should not be forced to sell animals into a depressed market once a restriction is lifted
• The €300 monthly payment cap must be removed, and farmers paid the full cost of maintaining additional animals based on the Teagasc daily costings for each category of animal

David Hall said Teagasc costings estimate the cost of a round bale of silage at approximately €54, which illustrates the scale of the costs farmers are facing.

“Silage alone can equate to around €90 to €100 per cow per month. The current Hardship Grant rates come nowhere close to these costs, before any other costs associated with keeping additional stock are taken into account,” he added.

“The Hardship Grant is designed to help farmers who are forced to carry additional stock because of TB. It is only right that the payment reflects the actual costs being incurred. With farmers already under pressure from drought conditions, the Minister needs to act now and make these changes,” the IFA Animal Health Chair said.

“We have seen a reduction in TB numbers this year, which is welcome. This also means there is ample fiscal space within the TB programme budget. The Minister now has an opportunity to use some of that space to make a real difference to farmers who are experiencing the financial and practical consequences of a TB restriction which is compounded by the drought conditions,” David Hall concluded.