UP to 1,000 Limerick farmers are facing a serious drop in income with the announcement that there will be no environmental reward scheme for them this year. Farmers across the county had been expecting Agriculture Minister, Simon Coveney, to announce a new Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) this year but it was confirmed this week that this will not now go ahead. Farm leaders have warned that up to 1,000 farmers who are finishing up on Rural Environment Protection Schemes (REPS) schemes which also give payments for more environmentally friendly farming, this will be a massive blow.
When contacted by the Limerick Post, Chairman of the Limerick branch of the Irish Farmers Association, Eddie Scanlon, said the farmers who will be affected are those coming off REPS schemes.
“In previous years, you could finish on a REPS scheme and join an AEOS. which wasn’t as good financially as the REPS but at least is was a step down – this is a step off”.
The loss of the AEOS will mean a drop in a farm income of €4,000 a year.
“That’s a lot of money on a small farm. You’d have to do a lot of work to make that up,” Mr Scanlon said.
“And there’s the question of all the farmers who have land along the banks of the Shannon which is designated as protected. That severely restricts how you can farm. At least up to know there was some compensation but no farmers have the restrictions and no compensation”.
The farmers’ representative added that dropping the scheme will do nothing for Ireland’s tourism image as a country with high environmental standards.
Meanwhile, Limerick Deputy Niall Collins (FF) has hit out at the Minister’s decision.
“It is an absolute disgrace that after all his talk, Minister Coveney is now backing away from reopening AEOS in 2012. Farmers across County Limerick who have recently come off REPS have made plans based on the reasonable assumption that they could join AEOS this year. They have now been left high and dry and are facing a significant cut in their annual incomes,” he said.
