Recent commitments made to suckler farmers by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, must be honoured, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
IFA livestock chair, Brendan Golden said the minister pledged to “pay out on every suckler cow that’s applied for in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) at recent mart meetings and he must stand over that.
Minister McConalogue has been engaging in a CAP consultative tour of marts since early September.
“The IFA set out clear demands for a €300 suckler cow payment and €100/animal payment for cattle rearing and finishing farmers to ensure CAP monies directly support Irish beef farmers for producing beef to the highest welfare and environmental standards in the world,” the IFA livestock chair said.
“The minister confirmed in Thurles last Friday, and again in Granard, that every suckler cow would be approved for funding at the levels announced.
“What has been allocated so far for Pillar II will not meet that commitment, so the minister has to find the extra funding needed,” he said.
He said the minister has the opportunity to directly support these farmers with meaningful, targeted suckler cow and cattle rearing and finishing schemes.
The IFA livestock chair said the minister has to provide a scheme that directly supports rearing and finishing farmers, as these are some of the farmers who are losing the most through convergence, the Complementary Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) scheme and eco schemes.
These farms are integral to the beef production systems in Ireland, and the proposed strategic plans must include a scheme that delivers €100/animal payment for farmers who rear and finish cattle.
“The minister told farmers he is prepared to listen, and he has got the message loud and clear that €300 for suckler cows, and €100/animal for cattle rearing and finishing must be provided in the new CAP.
“Suckler and beef farmers are telling him loud and clear that he needs to go back to the drawing board. It’s time for him to act on their clear message and provide the funding in the Pillar II schemes to deliver on these objectives,” he said.