€20m allocated to Galway farmers under land hardship scheme
Nearly 10,000 farmers in Galway will receive payments under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme, which supports people farming land facing additional hardships.
Galway East TD Seán Canney welcomed what he called a “hugely important” scheme.
“The ANC scheme recognises the difficulties of farming in less favourable areas, and these payments are an essential lifeline in maintaining farm activity and sustaining rural communities,” he said.
The scheme is divided into three land categories, based on the type of land that supports grazing livestock, including offshore islands. To qualify, farmers must meet minimum livestock quotas for more than half of the year with eligible animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys and deer.
The most recent count in 2021 showed County Galway had 12,700 ANC-eligible townlands.
Agriculture, Food, and the Marine minister Martin Heydon said: “The ANC scheme is crucial to farm families, and I know the importance of getting payments out to applicants as quickly as possible. The issuing of these payments in mid-September highlights our commitment to make payments to farmers at the earliest possible time. Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days, and my department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases as they meet scheme criteria.”
Farmers across Ireland are sharing in the €183.2 million allocated for the scheme.