Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh has said that Budget 2014 must offer hope to small farm enterprises.
Farmers must be given hope says Deputy Joe McHugh
And the Donegal Deputy has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine to ensure that measures in the Budget will give greater flexibility to farmers for the coming 12 months.
Deputy McHugh made his comments after meeting earlier this week with two delegations of Donegal IFA members in Letterkenny and Carndonagh.
Deputy McHugh said “Last winter was a time of historic difficulty for Donegal farmers, who endured a fodder crisis and a credit crisis, and an unusually long winter of harsh weather. Budget 2014 must offer hope to farmers for the year ahead, and its measures must ensure that farmers have greater credit flexibility for the year ahead.
“Donegal IFA delegations, whom I met earlier this week in Letterkenny and in Carndonagh, have emphasised the importance of the Disadvantaged Area Scheme as a core support for farming in Donegal. The Disadvantaged Area Scheme is very important for the development of the agriculture industry in this county.
“I emphasised this point to the Minister for Agriculture, Marine & Food Simon Coveney TD when I met him in Dublin this week.
“Changes to the Farm Assist scheme that were introduced in Budget 2013 were extremely tough for many families in Donegal this year. I have made a strong case this week to the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton TD, that Budget 2014 needs to offer greater hope to Farm Assist recipients.
“I am also calling on the Government to ensure that capital gains tax thresholds to be set out in the Budget will not impact negatively on the farming industry, and I have asked Minister Coveney to ensure that the 2014 Milk Production Partnership arrangements will be of benefit to the industry.”
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