Tillage Forum to convene

FINE Gael Senator Tim Lombard has confirmed that the Tillage Forum will meet on Thursday, February 16th, to discuss the issue of compensation for grain farmers, who were gravely affected by bad weather last year.

The Senator welcomed the fact that Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD, has convened this assembly of the main stakeholders in the Irish tillage industry, adding: ‘A number of Irish tillage farmers face severe financial hardship due to loss of crops resulting from conditions outside their control. Cork has been one of the worst-affected areas and this has been an ongoing issue, which I have raised numerous times, throughout my time in the Seanad. 

‘A weather-related crop loss scheme has been proposed by many farming organisations, which would see once-off compensation to farmers incurring substantial losses.’

Referring to the Tillage Forum, he said: ‘This is a very important meeting for the tillage industry as there is a need for immediate resolution. I hope that a suitable outcome can be reached.’