The message for the government is that sheep farming is not a viable business to be in, independent TD for East Galway, Seán Canney has said.
Speaking to Agriland at the ‘Save our Sheep Sector‘ demonstration in Roscommon town on Monday, February 13, Canney said that he will be relaying the message from Monday’s protest to the government in the Dáil.
Canney said: “The message for the government from this demonstration is that sheep farmers have got a business which is not viable.
“To be offering farmers a payment of €12/ewe in the new Sheep Improvement Scheme is an absolute insult.
“If we are to keep farmers in business in this sector, the government needs to support them sufficiently.
“This crowd today would have been 10 times bigger only for that farmers were up last night lambing ewes, I know that myself with my own brother sheep farming themselves,” Canney added.
The independent TD said that farmers are price takers and with current prices for sheep and the level of support not what it needs to be, it means the business in this instance, sheep farming isn’t viable.
“The message for government is, a message which I’ll be bring back to them as an opposition TD, is that it’s not good enough and something needs to be done now to support sheep farmers.
“Talking about doing something for them in the future is a waste of time. Farmers need the help and support now, and that’s the message that the government needs to hear and to act on right away,” Canney concluded.