More financial support is needed to prevent suckler farmers leaving claim the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
Roscommon IFA branch chair Jim O’Connor said suckler farmers are concerned about the sector’s viability.
“There are huge numbers of beef cows being culled and reduced from the national herd and that is very regrettable. We need to get more financial support to maintain the suckler herd and the viability of family farms in rural Ireland,” he said.
“I can see more people exiting suckler production and that is a very poor step for the Irish farming community and the beef industry as a whole.”
Mr O’Connor called for more financial supporters for suckler cows, sheep and the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme.
Currently there is a scheme where suckler farmers will receive €150 for their first 10 cows and €120 for additional cows.
The IFA Rosscommon chair said this needs to go further than what is currently offered in the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Sucklers (BEEP-S) scheme.
“We need to have a commitment of not less than €300/suckler cow to create a stable and profitable industry because the reality is that beef farming is the anchor tenant of farming in the vast majority of Ireland,” Mr O’Connor added.
LSL News.