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“The €40m available to the suckler cow sector for 2020 must become a priority for implementation by the taskforce," said Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) president Colm O'Donnell.
His call comes in advance of the Beef Market Taskforce meeting scheduled for Thursday 9 January.
"Additional direct supports for the suckler cow as a priority is the exact wording in the agreement, so this must be addressed as a matter of urgency at the next meeting in order to target support at a sector which is extremely vulnerable at the present time,” he said.
Unfair
The INHFA has highlighted to Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and the beef taskforce chair Michael Dowling that recent Department schemes have discriminated unfairly against smaller suckler herds that have not participated because of the complex nature and conditionality attached to BDGP, BEEP and BEAM.
O'Donnell added: "On average, the three current support measures in place have approximately an uptake level of just 25% or 15,000 suckler farmers out of a total of close on 60,000 farmers deemed to be eligible for support.”
Equal treatment
O’Donnell has called on Minister Creed to come forward with a “new focus” in how his Department draws up new schemes that have the ability to both deliver on the objectives of the next CAP programme while ensuring the equal treatment of all suckler farmers.
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