Members of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA), politicians and farmers have gathered outside the Dáil and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) “to fight for the survival of the sheep sector” today (Tuesday, February 28).
The group will protest outside both buildings until 2:30p.m, calling on the government to provide financial support for sheep farmers who are facing difficulty due to a combination of factors, including high input costs and weak factory prices.
The Irish Beef and Lamb Association (IBLA) and its members have also joined the picket line, after it called on farmers to support the demonstration yesterday (Monday, February 27).
ICSA president Dermot Kelleher stated that the group has gathered to fight for the survival of the sector and “for the economic sustainability of each and every sheep farmer”.
“These are the people who despite working seven days a week to put food on your table, are experiencing severe financial hardship,” he said.
“They urgently need to be thrown an economic lifeline, not thrown to the wolves.”
Echoing these statements, ICSA sheep chair Sean McNamara stated that the association “is demanding an emergency support package of €50 million for sheep farmers, to be funded from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR)”.
“We also want the Sheep Improvement Scheme increased towards €30/ewe and an extra €5/ewe for correct presentation of wool.
“A payment of €12/ewe is an insult to sheep farmers and the work they do. As a CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) support it is pitiful; the payment is simply not fit for purpose and must be revised upwards as a matter of urgency,” he added.
Previously, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said that he was willing “to explore the criteria required to draw down funding from the BAR” on behalf of sheep farmers.
Speaking about why the sector should be able to access this funding, McNamara said:
“Brexit brought untold turmoil to the sheep sector and the ramifications are still being felt to this day.
“The New Zealand lamb imports are a consequence of Brexit; the weakness of sterling since 2016 is a consequence of Brexit; and the importation of more than 500,000 lambs/year in live and carcase form is a consequence of Brexit.”
Concluding, McNamara said that the food produced by sheep farmers in Ireland is “world-class and top quality” and in addition, it is produced in “an environmentally sustainable way”.
“All we are asking is that our economic sustainability be given some consideration, our margin per ewe is down over 80% and both of these issues must be tackled to save the sector,” he said.
Agriland will be reporting from the protest throughout the day.