Recently concluded Farm Charter must deliver on payment date commitments

With the ANC payment due in farmer bank accounts on week beginning 16^t September, the Deputy President of ICMSA Eamon Carroll has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine to ensure that the Department deliver the maximum number of payments on that scheduled week given the unrelenting cashflow pressures on farmers this year.  

Acknowledging the Minister’s commitment to revert to 2022 payment dates after the delay in 2023, Mr. Carroll said that the focus now needs to be on ensuring that all farmers are paid that week and while no-one doubted that problems may occur, the onus was “absolutely” on the Department to notify farmers in time of those issues with responsibility for addressing any problems then switching to the farmers and their advisors.   Based on the Charter commitment, the Department undertook to notify all farmers of any problem by 3 September giving farmers about 15 days to respond to queries.  Mr. Carroll said that the Minister should confirm that all queries have now been issued to farmers and he said it would be “very useful” if a reminder was issued to farmers and their advisors if they have not responded by the Friday, 13 September.

“We are entering a period where farmers traditionally pay their bills and it will be a real struggle for many given the very difficult and expensive last year.  Getting your due payments on time is a big help and we call on the Minister to ensure the maximum payment number in the third week of September as committed to in the Farmers Charter just recently concluded. In addition, the Charter Committee should meet shortly to address any potential difficulties with the ANC/BISS/ECO schemes and also particular concerns at present in relation to TAMS and ACRES”, said Mr. Carroll.

The ICMSA Deputy President concluded by saying that farmers have a legitimate expectation that payments will be delivered as per Charter: “They plan on that basis and the system needs to recognise this, deliver the maximum number of payments and resolve problems quickly and efficiently”, concluded Mr. Carroll.

Ends     6 September 2024

Eamon Carroll, 087-6312945

Deputy President, ICMSA.

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office