The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) will hold a protest in Dublin this Tuesday to highlight the income crisis on sheep farms, with margins dropping as low as 80% from last year.

It is the second protest in relation to the sheep sector in recent weeks.

The protest will take place at 12.30pm on Kildare Street outside Dáil Éireann and the Department of Agriculture, with the overall aim of improving the viability of sheep farming.

ICSA sheep chair Séan McNamara told the Irish Farmers Journal: “The protest will present a proposed package to be put together for sheep farmers to compensate for the bad prices this year.

"The package will include a €20/lamb increase for every lamb killed up to 500 lambs and €30/ewe increase under the Sheep Improvement Scheme."

Fair income

“Sheep farmers simply want a fair income and a future for sheep farming.

"In order to avail of this, we are asking for €100m to be put into the sheep sector as a compensation scheme.”

McNamara stressed how the attitude towards sheep farming is worrying, with spokespeople at the recent sheep vision group meeting suggesting no answers about how to improve the sheep farmers' situation and overall viability.

“I feel that sheep farmers have no other choice but to take issues into their own hands," McNamara added.

We would need the premium to be at least €25/ewe to make it worthwhile

Sheep farmer Nigel Stoddart said: “I am going on Tuesday, as sheep prices are a disaster at the moment. The ewe premium increase of €2 from €10/ewe to €12/ewe is an insult to all sheep farmers.

"We would need the premium to be at least €25/ewe to make it worthwhile.

“I’m an agent for the factory and I’m seeing a huge portion of sheep farmers getting out of the business. If this issue isn’t addressed in short time, we're going to see very few sheep farmers remaining," he said.

Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) members were expected to join the protest on Tuesday. However, the Irish Farmers Journal understands this will now not be the case.