The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) is this afternoon (Tuesday, February 21) presenting a submission to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) focused on the financial crisis in the sheep sector.
Around 25 members of the IFA Sheep Committee are traveling to the department’s headquarters in Dublin city to present the document.
Chair of the committee Kevin Comiskey told Agriland that the submission was requested by the department during a meeting of the Food Vision Sheep group on Friday (February 17).
“So we’re doing that today. We were in Bluebell [IFA headquarters] for a meeting, the IFA Sheep Committee met this morning, and we decided that all of the committee should head to Agriculture House with the submission and present it to the department,” he said.
IFA
The IFA Sheep chair said that the submission is a “wide ranging” and “substantive” document.
“The main two points that we want to highlight today are the €30/ewe payment and we want a practical financial package put in place for direct supports for lamb finishers.”
The IFA also said that farmers must be directly supported to offset the cost of shearing, and incentivised to present wool in optimum condition to facilitate further processing.
Comiskey previously stated that Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has acknowledged the struggles facing sheep farmers and that the payment in the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) of €12/ewe was too low.
The IFA Sheep chair said that all ministers and TDs have been notified about today’s event and can be provided with the submission.
“I’ve been highlighting this since last March that the sector would be coming under pressure and unfortunately, it has come to bear, my worst fears. We have to get action on it now because we are in crisis at the minute,” he said.
Comiskey said that the greed of processors was so great that they were effectively destroying their own supply chain.
“Further price pressure in recent days is not acceptable, As we approach the key religious festivals in March, demand for lamb will improve. Factories must immediately reflect the improving market conditions in the price they pay,” he said.
Today’s action follows a protest organised by the IFA last week (Monday, February 13) in Co. Roscommon to highlight the ‘income crisis’ on sheep farms.
Comiskey is not ruling out considering similar action in the future.
“The submission today is a clear indication that we’re not going away and that there will be further action if necessary if we don’t get movement on this from the government,” he said.