The new president of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has warned the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine that he will “undermine” the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) if he does not listen to what suckler farmers are saying.
In his first address since officially taking up the role of ICSA president Sean McNamara told Minister Charlie McConalogue this evening (Thursday, February 1) that a SCEP scheme that penalises farmers who “get top price for export weanlings is not fit for purpose”.
Speaking at the ICSA’s annual general meeting and conference, which was attended by the minister, McNamara added: “A SCEP scheme that is blind to the fact that many suckler farmers are in the business of selling high value weanlings is not fit for purpose.
“And an Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) that pushes Angus bulls for replacements in the suckler herd needs to ask itself serious questions”.
The new ICSA president also said he wanted to see schemes for farmers that “are simple and deliver money effectively to farmers”.
“I will insist that any new scheme for sucklers or sheep has no tricky terms and conditions.
“No compulsory Bord Bia membership. No windfall for vets,” McNamara added.
ICSA
In his fist address as president to ICSA members he paid a special tribute to former president Dermot Kelleher and outlined that among his key priorities would be to ensure that farm families can “make a viable living from farming”.
McNamara stressed that farmers need to earn enough to support their families to enable them to “continue to use sustainable practices for the environment and future generations”.
He also said he would “keep the pressure” on the new Agri-Food Regulator to deliver “transparency in the food chain” and ensure that small abattoirs” are kept open.
“I will strongly defend live exports to deliver competition and give hope to our farmers,” McNamara added.
He also pledged to “fight for better prices” for farmers
“We need €8/kg for lamb and we need at least €6/kg for beef in 2024.
“If this cannot be achieved there is a real risk of farmers leaving the sector,” the new president of the ICSA warned.
He also said it was “most frustrating” that 28,000 farmers who are Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) participants “hadn’t received payments” and that this had sent a troubling message to committed farmers.
McNamara said he wanted to see a culture respect from department inspectors, factories and consumers for farmers for their hard work.
He acknowledged that there was a need for additional environmental actions on climate and biodiversity but he underlined that farmers “cannot do it on their own”.
“It is imperative that these initiatives come with proper financial supports. I will actively seek new funds outside of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to ensure that our farmers can meet these objectives without shouldering an unjust burden,” McNamara added.