The government has to either support the sheep sector or watch it close its doors, the president of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has said at a protest outside the Dáil today (Tuesday, February 28).
Dermot Kelleher said the sheep sector is “on its knees” and the ICSA is looking for all parties inside the Dáil to stand behind sheep farmers.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, must either close down the sheep sector in Ireland or support it, the ICSA president said.
Protesters demanding improved conditions for sheep farmers and a support package for the sector are set to move to Agriculture House on Kildare St. in Co. Dublin this afternoon.
Discussion around the difficulties facing sheep farmers has heightened of late, with numerous demonstrations taking place, and calls for action from farmers and their representative bodies.
Sheep sector
Kelleher said a lot of the crisis has been caused by Brexit, with sheep imports and higher input costs, particular for fertiliser which has now reached €1,000/t and feed costs going through the roof.
Calling for the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) to be given out to farmers in the sector, he said sheep farmers are now losing between €20-30/ewe.
“A lot of farmers can’t come here today. A lot of them are lambing and there are cows calving – it’s that time of the year. So we [asked] anyone who has lambs to kill to hold [them] back in support of this protest.
“We will be hit by costs, greedy retailers and greedy processors – they all want to make a fortune and the farmer is at the end of the light. All we are looking for is a fair share,” the ICSA president said.
Protesters aim to ensure that there will be a viable living in sheep farming before the end of today as, at the moment, there is no future in sheep farming, ICSA sheep chair, Sean McNamara said.
Stating that farmers are now losing around €30/lamb, he said: “The factories are not paying enough for our lambs, we have to get at least €7.40/kg for lambs to breakeven. At the moment we are getting €6.20/kg tops.
“This is not sustainable farming, farmers won’t be able to stick it. There is going to be a serious welfare issue in sheep farming in the next few months unless farmers get help.”
While officials at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine say farmers received a 20% increase to €12/ewe under the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS), he said €35 is needed.
“If [this increase] doesn’t happen in the next three to four years, you will see sheep disappear out of rural Ireland and that’s it,” McNamara said.