Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), last week announced that he plans to include investments in the equine sector under TAMS in the next CAP regime beginning in January 2023.
IFA Horse Project Team Chair Richard Kennedy welcomed the Minister’s comments at the Dublin Horse Show launch. “The IFA Horse Project Team, along with the full IFA executive and leadership, have fully supported the inclusion of horse farmers in the TAMS scheme. Farmers involved in breeding and rearing horses require assistance and they should be able to avail of TAMS grant funding. It is only correct that the omission of this sector of Irish agriculture is going to be corrected in the next CAP.”
He added: “IFA is ready and willing to engage with DAFM officials regarding investment requirements on horse farms and ensuring that all genuine farmers with horses have the opportunity to avail of these TAMS supports.”
The average farmer breeder in Ireland has five mares or less. It is this cohort of farmers that produces the majority of our thoroughbred and sporthorse bloodstock and maintain the equine industry. The horse sector is an integral farming activity throughout rural Ireland and makes a €2 billion contribution to our economy.