Ireland allocates €100 million for agri-food sector

To mitigate the impact of Brexit on farmers in Ireland, the country's government has announced a new subsidy scheme for companies in the dairy and meat industries. The country has earmarked €100 million for this.

With the new €100 million scheme, the government in Ireland aims to support large, medium or small businesses involved in the processing and marketing of meat and dairy products. As a result of Brexit, goods from Ireland, including meat and dairy products, are no longer allowed to cross the border into the United Kingdom without restrictions. For many exporters it is a loss, because the new rules entail a lot of paperwork. And that costs money. The newly announced scheme should help entrepreneurs to develop further.

A condition is therefore that applicants must submit a plan that is aimed at the production of new and/or improved products with a higher added value and/or production processes that are necessary for a new market. So it should not just be about a way to produce more raw materials. Contributions must also be made to more sustainable food production. If a project is approved, a maximum of 30% of the amount can be subsidized.

More arrangements
This new arrangement is not the only way the Irish government wants to support the agri-food sector to mitigate the effects of Brexit. Additional funding is also available through budgets. This includes providing cheaper loans, direct support for farmers and additional resources for Bord Bia. “The agri-food sector is the most important sector when it comes to regional employment and prosperity. Brexit should not jeopardize this,” said Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, the company providing the grant.

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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