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| Farmers camp out for EU grants | Farmers camp out for EU grants |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew has said the 'first-come, first-served' system of giving grants to farmers to modernise their businesses was fair. | Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew has said the 'first-come, first-served' system of giving grants to farmers to modernise their businesses was fair. |
| Some farmers spent almost two days queuing outside eight government offices across Northern Ireland to apply for the grants. | Some farmers spent almost two days queuing outside eight government offices across Northern Ireland to apply for the grants. |
| The £6m funding package will allow only 1,200 farmers to benefit from the maximum grant award. | The £6m funding package will allow only 1,200 farmers to benefit from the maximum grant award. |
| "We knew there was going to be no easy way," said the minister. | "We knew there was going to be no easy way," said the minister. |
| Some farmers had been in the queue since Sunday ahead of Tuesday's 0900 GMT opening. | Some farmers had been in the queue since Sunday ahead of Tuesday's 0900 GMT opening. |
| "If we had done assessment panels it would have been a lot more bureaucratic and a lot more unwieldy," said Ms Gildernew. | "If we had done assessment panels it would have been a lot more bureaucratic and a lot more unwieldy," said Ms Gildernew. |
| The minister said two more sets of grants would be handed out to farmers. | The minister said two more sets of grants would be handed out to farmers. |
| The EU rural development programme grants are designed to help improve animal welfare and farm efficiency. | The EU rural development programme grants are designed to help improve animal welfare and farm efficiency. |
| The farmers whose grant applications are successful will be able to buy from a government-approved list of items such as cow mattresses, creep feeders and computerised livestock identification systems. | The farmers whose grant applications are successful will be able to buy from a government-approved list of items such as cow mattresses, creep feeders and computerised livestock identification systems. |
| If a farmer gets the maximum grant of £5,000, they must spend £7,000 of their own money on improvements to their farm. | If a farmer gets the maximum grant of £5,000, they must spend £7,000 of their own money on improvements to their farm. |
| Ms Gildernew said it was an "important boost to the economy", because many of the items on the approved list have been made in Northern Ireland. | Ms Gildernew said it was an "important boost to the economy", because many of the items on the approved list have been made in Northern Ireland. |
| Applications | Applications |
| It is understood the Department of Agriculture will allow a number of postal applications to be picked at random from the many thousands which are expected but the bulk of the grants will go to people who make it to the department's regional offices on Tuesday. | It is understood the Department of Agriculture will allow a number of postal applications to be picked at random from the many thousands which are expected but the bulk of the grants will go to people who make it to the department's regional offices on Tuesday. |
| Farmers in Ballymena began queuing on Sunday afternoon in the town centre. | Farmers in Ballymena began queuing on Sunday afternoon in the town centre. |
| One man believed his two night "sit-out" would be worth it. | One man believed his two night "sit-out" would be worth it. |
| "I want to modernise the farm in order to leave it easier to work for a one-man operation. Given the current economic climate and farming, it is worth it." | "I want to modernise the farm in order to leave it easier to work for a one-man operation. Given the current economic climate and farming, it is worth it." |
| A woman, who was number 76 in queue, said she had, at least, more of a chance than the long line of those waiting behind her. | A woman, who was number 76 in queue, said she had, at least, more of a chance than the long line of those waiting behind her. |
| But one farmer said the "first come, first served" tactic for handing out grants, was unfair. | But one farmer said the "first come, first served" tactic for handing out grants, was unfair. |
| "A lot of people are queueing here for nothing," he said. "The government needs to have a look at the way they introduced this. If you're not in you cannot win, but I don't think I'll win this time." | "A lot of people are queueing here for nothing," he said. "The government needs to have a look at the way they introduced this. If you're not in you cannot win, but I don't think I'll win this time." |
| There were large queues at offices in Coleraine and Dungannon, Newry, Armagh, Downpatrick, Enniskillen and Omagh. | There were large queues at offices in Coleraine and Dungannon, Newry, Armagh, Downpatrick, Enniskillen and Omagh. |
| The modernising programme has six main aims: | The modernising programme has six main aims: |
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