According to IFA president Tim Cullinan, the exclusion of the mushroom sector from the Horticulture Crisis fund is beyond belief. On Tuesday, the Department of Agriculture announced that the scheme is now open for applications with eligible framers set to receive a once-off payment in January 2024. However, white mushroom growers and the majority of strawberry growers are excluded.
Cullinan said he can't understand how the mushroom sector has been excluded given the challenges it has faced, particularly since Brexit and getting into the British market. He added that the strawberry sector should not have been left out either, as there are some excellent growers in the country who have invested serious money in their businesses.
"This is exceptional aid which has come from the EU and he's entitled to co-fund that up to 200%. That should have been done and those two sectors should not have been left out of the exceptional aid," Cullinan said.
Source: farmersjournal.ie