Coronavirus: 11,000 NI farmers to get help in Stormont scheme

More than 11,000 farmers are to get help under a Stormont Covid-19 support scheme - the most comprehensive one in the UK and Europe.

It will compensate mainly dairy and beef businesses which suffered a price collapse as lockdown took hold.

The application process starts next week, with £21m set to be paid out. It is hoped money will be in farm accounts by early October.

Some sheep, potato and horticulture businesses will also benefit.

Eleven million pounds will go to dairy farmers who saw their milk price drop as global commodity markets slumped and food service businesses like cafes, bars and restaurants closed.

Seven million pounds will be paid out to beef farmers who faced similar problems.

Potato farmers who were not able to sell their produce to food service for chips and other potato products, or had to send it for animal feed, will also get money.

Growers of ornamental bedding plants who suffered when garden centres shut will also share in the compensation.

There is also money for a smaller number of sheep farmers who sold stock when prices were bad.

In total 150,000 cattle and 40,000 sheep slaughtered during the downturn will attract compensation payments and dairy farmers who produced 856 million litres of milk during the crisis will get a top-up payment.

The Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs is managing the payments and promises that the process will be a relatively simple online one.

Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots said he had consulted widely to get a scheme that was fair.

"During those discussions it was clearly accepted that financial support should be targeted at the hardest hit farm businesses who suffered verifiable financial loss as a direct result of the pandemic," he said.

The money will compensate beef and sheep producers for 100% of their losses, while dairy farmers will have 80% of their losses covered.

This reflects the fact that beef and sheep farmers with lower incomes may have struggled to access other government support.

There are 25,000 registered farm businesses in Northern Ireland.

Payments will be made to those who supplied milk or sold beef and sheep for slaughter during specific reference periods during the lockdown.

The department already holds or has gathered most of the information it needs to calculate the amounts in such cases.

Potato and horticulture business will have to supply proof of losses when their application window opens later in the month.