Drought Relief Scheme

March 2019:

The 5pm Friday 15 March 2019 deadline for applications has now passed.

The Department will endeavour to process this payment by w/c 1 April 2019. Applications received with queries/anomalies may be withheld from payment pending further investigation.

As payments for finished pigs are linked to Meat Plant intake up to and including the end of March 2019, pig payments will be made later e.g. ~mid April 2019.

Background:

The Agricultural Drought Relief Scheme is intended to provide grants to eligible applicants who owned/own livestock, crops and vegetables which were affected by the exceptional weather period during 2018. 

The exceptional weather period on the Island during 2018 was a wet spring followed by unusually dry weather that occurred between 1 May 2018 and 6 August 2018. It was a once in a generation weather event and the final impacts will only become clear over the next months or even years. 

All current applicants of the 2018 Agricultural Development Scheme (ADS) will automatically receive an application to this Scheme. The required information held by the Department (e.g. numbers of livestock and the number of crop and vegetable acres) will be pre-populated on the form. Should a claimant wish to apply to the Scheme, they will be required to confirm whether this information is correct, sign it and return it back to the Department. 

For those who are not a current ADS claimant, please download a blank application form which you can find on this webpage and send it into the Department. 

If you have any questions about the Scheme please contact the Agriculture Directorate using the details below. 

Agriculture Directorate
Thie Slieau Whallian
Foxdale Road
St John's
IM4 3AS
Telephone: +44 1624 685844
Email: agriculture@gov.im