The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) National Livestock chair Brendan Golden has claimed that suckler and beef farmers were ignored in Budget 2023.
He said that farmers were “not fooled” by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue restating what is already contained in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan in his budget announcements.
Golden said that the additional €28 million announced yesterday (Tuesday, September 27) “merely brings supports for suckler farmers in line with what we are currently receiving”.
He added that “suckler and beef farmers are facing into 2023 with no recognition from the minister of the challenges facing the sector”.
IFA has consistently called for a €300/cow payment for suckler farmers and a €100 rearing and finishing payment for beef farmers.
Along with failing to provide these supports, Golden said that Minister McConalogue failed to recognise the challenge facing winter finishers by not providing a targeted payment based on production levels.
The IFA National Livestock chair said that seeking credit for an advance payment of the fodder subsidy scheme will not wash with beef finishers and suckler farmers.
Golden added that the attempts to “ram through” a climate policy for the sector without an impact assessment is “a very worrying direction of travel from a minister who has talked the talk in support of the sector but has not walked the walk by providing the supports necessary”.
He said that Minister McConalogue must bring forward proposals to offset the production costs faced by suckler and beef farmers in the coming months.
He also called on the minister to clarify his “longer-term level of direct support” to provide for the economic viability of the sector.
The IFA National Livestock chair said that suckler and beef farmers have a positive role to play in the socio economic and environmental ambition of the country, but this has been “severely hampered by the minister’s failure to provide the direct supports necessary”.