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The economic sustainability of sheep farmers must top the agenda when the Food Vision group convenes, Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) sheep chair Seán McNamara has said.
This comes following confirmation from Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue that the group will be convened "urgently" to examine prices.
“The sheep sector is in complete turmoil, with sheep farmers around the country taking a serious financial hammering.
"We are producing a sustainable product in an environmentally sustainable way, but the lack of interest in our economic sustainability on the part of processors, retailers and the Government has been a disgrace.
"The Food Vision group must address this before anything else,” he said.
Figures
The figures Teagasc put out recently, McNamara stated, illustrate just how badly sheep farmers are faring.
"They calculated the net margin per ewe in 2022 was just €7, down from €39 per ewe the previous year.
"Many farmers in the ICSA would argue that net margin is now even less than €7 per ewe; either way it’s a drop of over 80% and it’s a drop sheep farmers cannot survive," he said.
What is needed now is answers, he argued.
"We need answers from the processors, from the retailers and from the Government.
"Primary producers are playing their part by producing world-class nutritious food, but the stark reality is that we are not getting paid enough for that product, nor are we getting the necessary supports from Government.
The ICSA is demanding an annual support payment of €50m
"That is what the Food Vision group needs to get to grips with first and foremost - not asking sheep farmers to do more on the environment or anything else while they are haemorrhaging money," he said.
The ICSA is demanding an annual support payment of €50m - in addition to the CAP support - to deliver a ewe payment of €35/ewe.
The association has also called for an exceptional aid payment of €20/head for up to a maximum of 500 head of lambs, which have been sold at significantly reduced prices over the period August 2022 to February 2023.
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