Immediate support is required for suckler and beef sectors

THE IFA have called on Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to provide immediate support to be provided to the suckler and beef sector as the effects of the inputs inflation crisis take hold.

IFA president Tim Cullinan, pictured left, said immediate funding is needed to allow farmers to make plans to have fodder for the winter ahead.

“Suckler and beef farmers do not have the financial capacity to absorb the extent of the increases on input prices.

“There is an urgent need for immediate direct financial supports for these farmers to offset the costs,” he said.

The recent Teagasc report finds the impact of increased input expenditure will exceed output growth for the year. The production costs on suckler and finishing farms are projected to increase by 24% and 30% respectively.

IFA Livestock Committee chairman, Brendan Golden, said the suckler and beef farming are low-income sectors dependent on direct payments for 160% of FFI.

Recent developments place even more significance on the value of these supports and bring the flawed CAP policy sharply into focus, where the industry’s most productive suckler and beef farmers will see their payments slashed in 2023, if not amended.

This sector is also the most exposed to the impacts of Brexit. While the full impact of market access and UK trade deals has yet to be determined, beef farmers are already impacted by sterling volatility and market disruption from stockpiling of products in December 2020, which led to beef price drops in early 2021.

Suckler and beef farmers are in the process of making key management decisions on their farms that will influence the supplies and the supply patterns of beef for the next number of years, these decisions require long-term investment commitments with no guarantee on returns.

According to the IFA, it is critical that suckler and beef farmers are given a clear signal of the financial supports available to continue to produce beef to the highest animal welfare and environmental standards.

Francie Meehan from Gurteen was recently presented with honourary life membership of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA). The presentation was made by Kathleen Henry (chairperson, Sligo IFA Branch) and Professor Frank O’Meara (director of Teagasc).