Irish producers compensated for flock reduction
Some Irish poultry producers who suffered losses as a result of a flock-reduction programme will receive compensation from the government.
Ireland’s Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Brendan Smith, launched the plan, which aims to give financial assistance to farmers who took steps to reduce output earlier this year when there was a significant fall-off in demand for poultry meat.
Farmers may be compensated if they took hatching eggs out of the system, reduced their breeding flocks, or idled production facilities.
Although poultry consumption levels have now returned to normal, Minister Smith said that some producers experienced significant losses at the time and the financial assistance now available would go some way towards alleviating those losses.
The plan follows on from negotiations between EU member states and the European Commission, with the costs of the compensation programme being co-funded by the EU.
Minister Smith said that Ireland’s poultry sector was a hugely important contributor to the country’s overall food industry. He said he was confident that the poultry sector would continue to maintain market share in the face of competition from lower-cost countries, based on the quality it can offer to consumers.
