The government will allocate €45 million for a “Covid beef scheme improving carbon efficiency in 2021”, according to a document outlining the expenditure allocation for Budget 2021 – while the extension of schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have also been allocated funding.

This beef scheme will come in conjunction with new agri-environmental and other farm support measures, for which an allocation of €79 million in costs has been earmarked for next year.

According to the documents prepared by the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, a total additional Covid-19 allocation of €63 million will be set aside for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under Budget 2021.

The Department of Agriculture will receive a total gross voted expenditure allocation of €1.826 billion for 2021.

Meanwhile, under expenditure allocations relating to farm and sector supports and controls, some €937.5 million has been set aside.

Under a breakdown of programme expenditure, as well as farm/sector supports and controls, funding has been set aside for: “Food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare” (€322.1 million); “policy and strategy” (€399.2 million); and the “seafood sector” (€167.3 million).

The department document explains the reasoning behind the funding provision, stating:

“It will also provide for significant new measures to encourage additional environmental ambition, and permit the development of new initiatives in farm safety,” the document says.