An increased suckler cow payment of €350, as well as €35/ewe, are among Fianna Fáil’s promises to farmers ahead of the upcoming election.

The current Government support for a suckler cow stands at €200 when combining the National Beef Welfare Scheme (BWS) and the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP).

In its General Election Manifesto 2024, Fianna Fáil also outlined that if it was returned to government, it would approve €300m over five years to expand the tillage sector.

A €100/calf payment in the Dairy Beef Scheme was pledged by Fianna Fáil in its manifesto, as well as backing a retirement scheme for farmers, funded in the next CAP.

Other farm measures

Other supports Fianna Fáil said it would introduce for farmers include a new income volatility taxation measure, which would allow a farmer to voluntarily defer up to 5% of their gross receipts in any one year.

It also said it would boost incentives to improve beef genetics via AI and stock bulls.

At EU level, the party said it would “fight” for the next CAP to have a fully funded budget, negotiate a CAP that is more straightforward for farmers and secure additional funding, separate to CAP, for environmental measures.

On environmental measures, a climate data-use performance payment that financially rewards farmers for delivering emissions reductions and biodiversity actions was outlined.

Fianna Fáil also said it would give the Agri-Food Regulator more powers and review the rates payable under the Farm Plan Scheme.

Derogation

Fianna Fáil pledged its full support to retaining Ireland’s nitrates derogation.

“Fianna Fáil is committed to achieving our urgent national environmental goals and we reject the idea that there should be a conflict between having a strong agri-food sector and meeting these goals. Farmers are playing a vital part in delivering a sustainable economy,” it said.

The manifesto said the party would continue to promote Ireland’s case for retaining the derogation at EU level “based on the significant difference between Irish farming and other countries, and the action we are taking to improve water quality”.

It said it would ensure water quality ambitions are properly resourced with one-to-one support for farmers by expanding the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) and creating a permanent farming for water scheme.

The introduction of a water quality investment scheme was also promised.

Farm family

For the farm family, Fianna Fáil said it would create a national programme to advise and assist farmers with succession issues and amend the Fair Deal Scheme to ensure that it does not hinder succession planning.

Incentivising farmers to produce energy for their own use or to diversify their farm income by selling excess energy to the grid and bringing the traditional farm buildings grant in line with the vacant property refurbishment grant was also promised.