Irish Agriculture Minister announces €7m pig support package

Irish Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has unveiled a €7 million support package for Ireland's pig producers, as they battle with soaring costs and low pig prices. 

The fund will be distributed through a flat rate payment of a maximum of €20,000 per individual commercial pig farmer sending more than 200 pigs per annum to slaughter.

At today's NFU Conference in Birmingham, Defra Secretary George Eustice repeatedly batted away calls for a fund to support farmers in England. 

However, Ireland's announcement was the latest of a series of emergency support packages for pig producers brought in by governments across the UK and EU.

Ireland has now joined Scotland, Northern Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland and others by introducing measures to help its pig farmers struggling due to ‘low pig meat prices and extraordinarily high input costs’.

The price of feed and energy has skyrocketed, in line with a drop in the market price received for pigs. As a result, Irish pig farmers are currently losing between €35 and €40 a pig.

A lukewarm reception

Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Ulster-north Leinster regional chair Frank Brady welcomed the funding, thanking the Minister for seeing that there is a major problem in the sector.

But he added that further aid is needed, describing the €7m emergency pig fund as a ‘token gesture’, which he said should act as a ‘stepping stone’ to further support for the sector.

More details and reaction HERE