Suckler, beef and sheep farmers feel their sector has been “unfairly targeted in concerns around climate change and biodiversity loss”, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) has said in its budget submission for 2024.
The INHFA also highlighted that it was very conscious of the “ever-increasing demands” around climate change and that it was vital to ensure that farming was “not scarificed” through actions such as rewetting.
In its Budget 2024 submission, the organisation outlined what it described as “a clear strategy” to support and protect farmers whose primary farming activity is cattle and sheep rearing.
It sets out that this strategy reflects the “varied income sources” received by these farmers through both sales and via the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and also outlines what specific financial support the INHFA believes is needed in relation to key areas.
The organisation also identifies where additional funding is required such as for the Forgotten Farmer Scheme which it believes requires a budget allocation in 2024 of €20 million, and sets out its proposals on a range of key issues including tax.
The INHFA stated: “With an expected budget surplus of €8 billion this year and a projected surplus of €16 billion next year, it is vital that the government recognises the crucial role farming is playing at a national level.”
Sheep farmers
Specifically in relation to the sheep sector, the INHFA is calling on the government to allocate further funding “to restore confidence to an ailing sector” in its budget submission for 2024.
In total, the group is seeking a sheep support payment of €85 million including €500,000 funding for the wool industry, and a further €500,000 for a media campaign.
Specifically in relation to sheep farmers, the group is calling for a support scheme of €35/ewe paid on the census return from last February.
This payment is in addition to the €12/ewe payment to be made under the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS).
The INHFA stated: “The last eight months have been a very difficult time for our sheep sector due to high costs and a fall in the price of lambs that has seen a reduction in farmers’ incomes by over 20%.
“This level of support is essential, especially on our hills where farmers are locked into a system through designations and land type and have to keep those sheep in order to comply with regulations.”
The group also said that the potential delay in the pay out of the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme will “further undermine the store trade and potentially delay critical sales for up to a month”.
INHFA recognised that a cross-department committee has been established to look at the issue of dog control, but said that “immediate action” is required, so that the issue does not “intensify”.
It is seeking a national media campaign from the budget of €500,000 to tackle dog control and raise awareness.
The group is also looking for a budget of €1 million to put the initial structures in place to facilitate the future development of the wool industry.
Suckler sector
The INHFA is seeking an additional suckler support scheme similar to the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP).
The new scheme would pay up to €200/cow for the delivery of specific welfare measures with access not dependent on Bord Bia membership. It would target payment on up to 20 cows with a “frontloaded payment” on the first 10 cows.
The scheme would be available to farmers in categories one and two of ANC and areas of specific constraint on offshore islands.
This would require a budget allocation of €95 million in total to support suckler farmers, according to the INHFA.
Nature restoration
Although the INHFA opposes the Nature Restoration Law, it states in its Budget 2024 submission that if the government is serious about the law then it recommends the immediate establishment of a fund for all private landowners with designated lands to deliver a payment of €300/ha for every hectare of designated land.
It also believes a fund should be set up to compensate landowners who are selling designated lands. This fund should make up the difference between the price got and the market value of the land, according to the organisation.
ACRES
With the decision to accept all applicants to the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), the INHFA said that there may be a requirement to increase the budget to accommodate for all participants in 2024.
With 46,000 farmers joining ACRES, it expects that the expenses this autumn and into next spring should be in excess of €250 million.
It also wants to see a commitment to increase the budget if required.
“In the event that we are surpassing a pay-out of €250 million then there will need to be an increased budget to accommodate new entrants to the scheme for 2024,” the INHFA added.