January 18, 2021, 5:29 pm
I sense that the amount of money owed by Irish farmers to vulture funds has increased dramatically over recent years.
This point became pretty obvious to me as I listened to the presentations given by two experts in the field of insolvency, courtesy of the recent Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA)-hosted webinar on this crucially important issue.
Of even more significance to me was the scope of the questions and answers (Q&A) session, which followed the presentations. I counted at least 30 questions being answered with the lady chairing the proceedings saying that time did not permit the many questions left unanswered being dealt with directly.
January 14, 2021 1:47 pm
While the announcement that the first tranche of Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) for 2021 will commence on Saturday, January 16, has been welcomed by the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA), it is calling for more clarity about funding.
The scheme provides grants for on-farm capital investment.
Farm and Rural Affairs committee chairperson, Denis Drennan, said the decision to continue with another tranche of TAMS was a “positive step”; however, he added that it must be accompanied by the allocation of the funding necessary to enable farmers to get approval and carry out investment within the normal Farmers’ Charter deadlines.