Rural TDs “stand firmly” with sheep farmers in their campaign for increased support by government which has thus far failed to address the devastating situation, Deputy Mattie McGrath has said.
Calls for a new ewe premium of at least €30/ewe have been supported by the group of TDs led by Deputy McGrath who said the livelihoods of Irish sheep farmers depend on greater support.
The leader of the Rural Independent Group was speaking after sheep farmers have taken their pleas to Dublin earlier this week to demand immediate and urgent financial support.
Emphasising the urgent need for financial aid, he said: “The dire income crisis on sheep farms is ravaging our hard-working farmers and pushing them to the brink of financial ruin.
“The shocking reality is that the margins of our sheep farmers have been obliterated, plummeting by an astounding 81% to a measly €7/ewe in 2022.
“And with limited hope for improvement in 2023, the situation is dire.”
The sum of €12/ewe under the Sheep Improvement Scheme has been described as “insufficient” by the deputy who said the payment does not mitigate the impact of inflation on the sector.
Sheep sector crisis
Earlier this week, around 25 members of the Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA) Sheep Committee presented a submission to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The document, which was requested by the DAFM during a meeting of the Food Vision Sheep Group last week, focused on the financial crisis in the sector.
“The main two points that we want to highlight are the €30/ewe payment and we want a practical financial package put in place for direct supports for lamb finishers,” committee chair Kevin Comiskey said.
In support of the sector, the Rural Independent Group urges the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to provide direct and targeted support of at least €30/ewe to alleviate the crisis.
“We, the Rural Independent Group, recommended such a payment in our 2023 pre-Budget submission, but the government chose to ignore us and offer a paltry and grossly insufficient payment.
“The sheep sector is one of Ireland’s most significant farm sectors, and it sustains 36,000 farms across some of the country’s most challenging land types. Without substantial financial aid, these farms will be at grave risk,” McGrath said.