IFA Meets Agriculture Minister on General Election Proposals for Sheep Farmers

IFA National Sheep Chairman Sean Dennehy and an IFA delegation of sheep farmers had a positive meeting with the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed in Cork today.

“We presented Minister Creed with a copy of the IFA General Election proposals on sheep, including a targeted direct payment of €30 per ewe.”

IFA highlighted to the Minister that sheep farming is the second largest farming enterprise in terms of farmer numbers, with 34,000 flock owners and is particularly important in mountain and hill areas. The sheep sector has an output value of up to €450m, with exports of 54,809t to 35 different countries, worth €294m in 2019.

“With pressure on lamb prices and direct payments, sheep farm incomes are very low at an average of €13,397 for 2018,” he said.

The main IFA proposal is for a targeted direct payment of €30 per ewe for sheep farmers from a combination of CAP and national funding. This would include a roll-over and increase in the Sheep Welfare Scheme to €15 per ewe and CAP Pillar II funding.

In Pillar II, IFA is seeking a strong environmental payment of €10,000 per farm, an increase in ANC (Areas of Natural Constraint) payments and higher payments for designated and commonage lands.

Sean Dennehy said immediate access to the important Chinese and US markets as well as other new lamb markets are essential in terms of diversifying our markets.

On EID tagging, the IFA has proposed a role over of the €100 funding per farmer for the cost of tagging for the next three years; increased grant aid for electronic readers; and a single tag for the sale of finished lambs in the marts.

Sean Dennehy said all non-statutory charges associated with scrapie, SRM charges and clipping charges should be abolished.

He said the on-going problem with dog attacks must be tackled through a properly funded dog warden service, implementation of micro-chipping of all dogs and one central Government database.

“The sheep sector must be fully protected in Brexit in terms of free access to the UK market, the fair share-out of the existing New Zealand and other TRQ import quotas,” he said.

The EU must fully protect the European sheep meat sector by ensuring that there is no additional market access for New Zealand and Australia, in any new trade negotiations.