A £2 million support package has been launched for potato farmers affected by Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.
During the pandemic the hospitality and food sector had a reduced need for potatoes leaving large quantities of unsold potatoes that would have otherwise been processed.
The new scheme is open to farmers with unsold potatoes in their stores that are no longer of acceptable quality for the processing market. Growers can dispose of them for animal feed or as raw material anaerobic digesters.
Applicants must complete an online Expression of Interest form by 11 June to register and request an inspection of their stores.
Ni farming minister Edwin Poots said: “This is the second year in succession these farmers have lost their market and this support will be a contribution towards the financial loss incurred and help sustain their businesses”
Final inspections of potatoes held in cold stores to verify quantities are only suitable for stock feed will take place in late July. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has already made £23.5m available to more than 11,500 farmers to offset the losses incurred by the pandemic.