The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been called on by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) to change the reference years of the Sheep Welfare Scheme for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) transition period.
Making the calls, IFA National Sheep Committee chairman Sean Dennehy said:
“The reference years do not reflect the current flock numbers of many sheep farmers within the scheme who have developed their enterprise since the reference period and need to be changed.”
The chairman also urged the department to allow new entrants into the scheme.
Commenting on this, Dennehy said:
“We need to do all we can to encourage generational renewal on sheep farms in Ireland, changing the reference years and allowing new entrants are important first steps to maximise participation in the scheme and ensuring all funding allocated to support the sector finds its way onto sheep farms.”
‘Enormous difficulties’ caused by mart restrictions
In other sheep farming news, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has said that sheep farmers are facing “enormous difficulties” as a result of the current Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions at marts.
The association has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue to urgently revisit the matter.