Tullamore Show is the Cattle Olympics but Income Crisis a Threat to the Sector

IFA President Francie Gorman said that this Sunday’s Tullamore Show and FBD National Livestock Show (August 11th) is the Olympics of the Irish cattle farming.

“This has been a hugely challenging year for the sector due to high input costs and difficult weather conditions. However, the Tullamore Show is an opportunity for the livestock sector to showcase the unique national asset it is” Francie Gorman said.

“A huge worry for the future has to be getting young people into the sector. At present less than 7% of Irish farmers are under the age of 35, a figure which has more or less halved in the last 20 years. There is no doubt that the income challenges are putting new entrants off entering farming,” he said.

The National Farm Survey results from Teagasc lay bare the harsh realities of the income situation of suckler and beef farms, with suckler incomes dropping to the lowest levels recorded. Farms experienced a drop of 19% in income last year, with almost 40% having a Family Farm Income of less than €5,000.

“A drop of 15% in Family Farm Income in this already low-income vulnerable sector has brought incomes to the lowest levels ever recorded for suckler farms, a situation that is not sustainable and cannot be allowed to continue by the Minister for Agriculture and Government,” Francie Gorman said.

IFA National Livestock Chair Declan Hanrahan believes the lack of action by Minister McConalogue and DAFM around delayed payments is causing further unnecessary strain on livestock farmers.

“Adding further pressure, the continued farce of delayed ACRES payments by Minister McConalogue’s Department of Agriculture is not acceptable.”

“Many livestock farmers are heavily dependent on these payments are it shows a complete lack of respect to livestock farmers and farmers in general who are struggling to keep bills paid,” Declan Hanrahan said.

“At this stage, Minister McConalogue and his Department are in the repechage when it comes to payments. He needs to sort out the ACRES payments mess or he will be seen by livestock farmers as again failing to deliver on past promises made,” he said.

Declan Hanrahan said Minister McConalogue must also come forward with funding in the upcoming Budget ‘25 to provide total targeted payments of €300/cow for suckler cows and cattle rearing, and finishing supports of €100/animal for both the rearing and finishing phases for beef farmers.