‘CAP promises a fair standard of living for all farmers — not just dairying’

More European support is needed for low-income sectors such as suckler farming, argues Derek Deane

AS A suckler beef farmer, I wish to respond to some of the points made by Darragh McCullough and Pat McCormack in articles published recently (October 2) in the Farming Independent.

The CAP promises a fair standard of living for all farmers, not just dairy farmers.

The expansion of dairying has flooded the EU with poor-quality product which has depressed the price for beef farmers.

A lot of extra dairy cows were slaughtered this year because of drought and went straight from the parlour to the factory with some of them being refused because they were emaciated.

ICMSA president Pat McCormack argues that there is “no logic” for additional suckler supports; Darragh McCullough suggests that dairy farmers should have access to beef farmers’ lands and sheds to facilitate dairy expansion.

I strongly disagree with both arguments. Instead, I believe we need a ‘Herod scheme’ to address the issue of unwanted dairy calves of poor quality.

The dairy sector does not have the right to drive on with increased emissions at the expense of our suckler herd.

A beef-bred calf is far more efficient in converting grass and concentrates to beef than their dairy counterparts. These are the animals we need to access the best markets in the world.

The CAP must be used to target Pillar I direct support to the low-income sectors as dairy farmers had an average income in 2017 of €70,000.

I would now question the merit of paying supports to large dairy units that have formed companies and no longer represent the family farm.

Dairying has a great competitive advantage in terms of global competition. In contrast, suckler farming here cannot compete with Brazilian ranches or American feedlots. Every time Brussels offers more access to our markets, the more our income is undermined. This is why we must target support to the sector.

The current crisis in suckler farming is unprecedented. There has been a 30pc drop in cow numbers in less than 20 years, and since the lifting of milk quotas