IFA Rural Development Chairman Joe Brady has called on the Minister for Agriculture to make significant changes to the Rural Development Programme to ensure that there is full utilisation of the €4bn available to the Programme over the seven-year period.

IFA Rural Development Chairman Joe Brady has said that the Organics Scheme in the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 needs to be amended to increase uptake, as the current payment regime will not attract farmers to reach the objectives in the Plan.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD has announced that the original 30th June deadline for registration of farmer participants in Knowledge Transfer Groups will be extended until 14th July.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD, last week chaired a special meeting of the Food Wise High Level Implementation Committee to discuss Brexit and its implications for the agri-food sector.

Despite repeated efforts from the Commission to address concerns expressed about the re-approval of glyphosate, Member States were not prepared to take responsibility for a decision as no qualified majority was reached at the Standing Committee on 6 June and again at the Appeal Committee on 24 June.