Exceptional payments from a fund of €2.8 million are to be made to Irish horticulture growers through the month of September as applications are processed.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue T.D. and Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity with special responsibility for Horticulture Senator Pippa Hackett today announced payments under the Horticultural Exceptional Payment Scheme (HEPS) have started to issue to eligible applicants.
HEPS is a support measure worth €2.8m which is funded by Ireland’s allocation for exceptional adjustment aid to producers in agricultural sectors which have been impacted by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, as announced by the European Commission on 23rd March. Payments will be capped at €100,000 per beneficial owner.
Making the announcement, Minister McConalogue said: “I am delighted to announce the commencement of payments under the Horticultural Exceptional Payment Scheme. This support measure will help to mitigate some of the significant challenges the horticulture sector has been experiencing lately. The domestic horticulture sector is of immense importance and one that we want to protect and enhance. This was my core reason for devising this support package. I want to see the sector flourish in the time ahead.”
Minister Hackett added: “Our domestic horticultural growers play a vital role in producing safe, nutritious, and local food in an environmentally sustainable manner. I am committed to supporting our growers through what has been an exceptionally challenging period, and these payments will provide valuable cash flow to help to support growers and ensure the long-term viability of the sector”.
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