Big farms cut out of on-goers scheme
24 January 2001
Big farms cut out of ‘on-goers’ scheme
By FWi staff
BIGGER producers seeking government money to restructure the pig industry may be thwarted by restrictive guidelines, claims the National Pig Association.
The second part of the governments 66 million, three-year pig industry restructuring scheme, opened on for applications on Monday (22 January).
It provides interest rate rebates on loans linked to agreed business plans.
Agriculture minister Nick Brown said the scheme would “reduce costs, overcome any competitive disadvantage and restore long term viability”.
But businesses with more than 10 employees must show that they have decommissioned 16% of their sow housing capacity since June 1998.
Those places cannot be brought back into production until 2003.
Stewart Houston, chairman of the National Pig Association producer group, said larger producers might have to “split” their farms into smaller businesses.
The first part of the scheme, for “outgoers” who have stopped farming or want to quit, has attracted 2500 inquiries since it opened on 4 December.