DEAR SIR: Cattle farmers have traditionally been the backbone of the rural economy. Many families were reared on family farms and the local towns and villages depended on the incomes derived from such farms for their survival.
Alas, the income generated from such farms has been in steady decline over a number of decades and has now reached absolute crisis point.
The situation is now so serious that young people are turning their backs on suckler and beef farming in their droves due to the fact that it is well-nigh impossible to make any decent profit margin from such enterprises.
Indeed, many farmers, especially those working on marginal land all along the west of Ireland, are not covering their costs. This situation is not sustainable and will lead to the inevitable demise of cattle farmers with the subsequent rapid decline of rural towns and villages.
What can be done to prevent this tragedy unfolding? The simple answer is that farming has to become profitable again. Cattle farmers have to be able to cover their costs plus return a modest profit margin.
This is the main aim of the recently established Beef Plan Movement. The movement hopes to organise and unite cattle farmers so that they will be treated as equal partners when negotiating with the beef processors and retail outlets rather than being purely price takers as they are at present.
Secondly, the Government and EU agencies have to direct financial aid towards making the family farm model profitable again. Placing a limit, somewhere in the region of the average industrial wage, would mean that huge Single Farm Payments that presently go to beef barons and an elite few could be redistributed to the smaller cattle farmers dotted around the country so as to help to make their enterprises viable again.
Viable family farms will result in viable shops, garages, etc, in our rural communities.
Read more
Watch: Beef Plan Movement protest outside Andrew Doyle’s office
Beef Plan Movement to stage protest on exports
DEAR SIR: Cattle farmers have traditionally been the backbone of the rural economy. Many families were reared on family farms and the local towns and villages depended on the incomes derived from such farms for their survival.
Alas, the income generated from such farms has been in steady decline over a number of decades and has now reached absolute crisis point.
The situation is now so serious that young people are turning their backs on suckler and beef farming in their droves due to the fact that it is well-nigh impossible to make any decent profit margin from such enterprises.
Indeed, many farmers, especially those working on marginal land all along the west of Ireland, are not covering their costs. This situation is not sustainable and will lead to the inevitable demise of cattle farmers with the subsequent rapid decline of rural towns and villages.
What can be done to prevent this tragedy unfolding? The simple answer is that farming has to become profitable again. Cattle farmers have to be able to cover their costs plus return a modest profit margin.
This is the main aim of the recently established Beef Plan Movement. The movement hopes to organise and unite cattle farmers so that they will be treated as equal partners when negotiating with the beef processors and retail outlets rather than being purely price takers as they are at present.
Secondly, the Government and EU agencies have to direct financial aid towards making the family farm model profitable again. Placing a limit, somewhere in the region of the average industrial wage, would mean that huge Single Farm Payments that presently go to beef barons and an elite few could be redistributed to the smaller cattle farmers dotted around the country so as to help to make their enterprises viable again.
Viable family farms will result in viable shops, garages, etc, in our rural communities.
Read more
Watch: Beef Plan Movement protest outside Andrew Doyle’s office
Beef Plan Movement to stage protest on exports
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