Wallace welcomes imminent payments to Sheep Farmers

19th November 2009

Mary Wallace TD has welcomed the announcement that payments under the 2009 Upland Sheep Payment Scheme will commence in early December to Sheep farmers. 

The 2009 Upland Sheep Payment will be payable to farmers who declared their sheep under the 2007 and the 2008 Sheep Census, declared Mountain Type Grazing under the 2009 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and were eligible for and were in receipt of payment under the 2009 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.

This payment is worth €7 million to 13,000 hill sheep farmers for 2009. A further €54 million will be made available over the next three years in unused CAP funds to support incomes in the sheep sector.

It is expected that payments worth in the region of €5 million would be made by the end of the year with the remaining €2 million being paid in early 2010. The maximum area payable is 15 hectares of mountain type grazing.

Ends