If commenting on the announcement by DAERA Minister Michelle McIlveen on CAP payments please consider the following statement from the Ulster Farmers’ Union.
The Ulster Farmers Union has welcomed assurances from DAERA Minister Michelle McIlveen regarding the schedule for direct payments. She has promised that 95 per cent will be made in December, and that where possible advance payments will be made from October 16 onwards – the first date this is possible under EU rules.
UFU president, Barclay Bell, said: “Given the acute cash flow pressures the industry faces these payments will be anxiously awaited by farming families across Northern Ireland, and this commitment from the Minister is certainly welcome.
“Under current EU rules this advance is limited to 50 per cent of the direct payment but has been allowed to be increased in previous years to help offset severe cash flow difficulties – something which we will be pursuing further.
“It reflects the move there has been towards on-line applications and we would encourage farmers to do this where possible, since this announcement confirms that doing so creates the conditions for early payments,” said Mr Bell.
