The European Commission has agreed to provide “exceptional support” in the face of challenging times to Irish farmers.
The EU has allocated Ireland €9.5 million from the Common Agricultural Policy’s emergency pot.
The Irish government can top-up the aid to nearly €30 million without breaching state aid rules, according to an EU source.
Farmers have been hit hard this year by “adverse climatic events, high input costs, and diverse market and trade related issues”, the European Commission says.
The “rapidly falling” prices of produce has added to the pressure.
Spain will get the largest share of the latest bailout, more than €80 million, following a prologued drought, forest fires and extreme temperatures over the last few months.
Along with Italy, Spanish farmers will also be able to reduce the amount of wine on the market (so-called “crisis distillation“) without being penalised.
Member states are expected to sign-off the aid allocations within weeks. The EU says the cash should be distributed directly to farmers before the end of the year.