President of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA) Dermot Kelleher has said that the €3.86bn funding package for CAP announced on Wednesday 20 October will not be anywhere near enough to deliver the key ICSA proposals unless the Minister also opts for coupled suckler and sheep payments or transfers money from Pillar I to Pillar II.

Kelleher said: “Although Minister McConalogue has worked hard to get an increased budget for the rural development programme, there just isn’t enough to deliver anywhere near €300/cow, €35/ewe, an early finishing support of €100/head and a decent agri-environment scheme worth up to €15,000.”

He also commented on he felt the Department is not interested in delivering what is required to support the low-income sectors and to have an ambitious enough agri-environmental scheme to reward farmers who go the extra mile for the green agenda.

He also believes that the increase in funding for the organic scheme looks like it is unrealistically high.

The ICSA had proposed a 25% top-up on sucklers and sheep for young farmers.

Kelleher said: “We must shift some of the Pillar I money to a coupled suckler and sheep payment and also transfer around €8m from Pillar II to fund an early finishing incentive (Beef Carbon Efficiency Payment) as set out in the ICSA plan and video.”

Not good enough

Kelleher noted that it is important that Minister McConalogue explains how to move forward and show he is listening to farmers’ needs.

“It is now incumbent on all organisations to have an honest discussion about whether they will support the ICSA plan or else to propose another means of delivering the same results,” he said,

“It is equally incumbent on the Minister to explain how he proposes to move forward and demonstrate that he is listening to the majority of farmers in Ireland who want better supports for the low-income cattle and sheep sectors.

“I am also asking for a full explanation of the Government’s plans to fully allocate the €1.5bn carbon taxes as new money, as promised in the Programme for Government. A lot of the promised money is being deferred back to 2028-2030 it seems. This is not good enough.

Sucklers, sheep and tillage

Kelleher pointed out that the announcement won’t deliver on the climate change agenda.

“There’s been lots of talk about a €300 suckler cow payment, but only ICSA has the plan to deliver it. It is now time to end the rhetoric and find a way to make this happen.

“The ICSA acknowledges the huge effort made by the Minister on the funding front, but we now have to begin the serious business of actually translating that into a working plan that will give hope to the beef, sheep and tillage sectors.

“If Ireland doesn’t return CAP payments to where they originally started, then the clear message is dairying or bust. And that won’t help farmers and it won’t deliver on the climate change agenda.

“Only the ICSA plan can deliver €300/suckler cow; €35/ewe; €100/head beef finisher payment, and a worthwhile agri-environment scheme. It’s now time for all to work together to deliver this,” concluded Kelleher.