Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) president Francie Gorman has called on Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon to source the additional funding needed to stop a cut to the payments expected by thousands of drystock farmers this year.
This week’s Irish Farmers Journal revealed that strong farmer demand for the National Beef Welfare Scheme and the National Sheep Welfare Scheme announced in Budget 2025 has left participants facing decreases to the payment levels announced.
Respective payment cuts of €8/calf and €1.50/ewe for these schemes are coming down the tracks, as the funds secured in the budget proved insufficient in meeting the €75/cow and €13/ewe payment rates initially announced by then-minister for agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
Meeting
“We met the Minister on this issue this week and I made it very clear to him that even though the number of applicants is higher than expected, he needs to find the extra funding to deliver the promised amounts per animal,” Gorman stated.
“There has to be flexibility in the system to make this happen. We estimate an extra allocation of approximately €6m would mean he could meet the commitments of €75 per suckler cow and €13 per ewe.”
Gorman warned that paring payment rates back to €67/cow and €11.50/ewe will act to “annoy” farmers who have already incurred the costs of carrying out the schemes’ measures.
“While suckler and sheep farmers have had a better year, it has been a long time coming and incomes in the beef and sheep sectors are still low,” he said.
“It is positive that the number of applicants to the scheme is up and the Minister deserves credit for opening the schemes earlier.
“However, he should follow through and pay every applicant the full amount promised by his predecessor in last year’s budget.”
Read more
Payment cuts to beef and sheep schemes
Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) president Francie Gorman has called on Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon to source the additional funding needed to stop a cut to the payments expected by thousands of drystock farmers this year.
This week’s Irish Farmers Journal revealed that strong farmer demand for the National Beef Welfare Scheme and the National Sheep Welfare Scheme announced in Budget 2025 has left participants facing decreases to the payment levels announced.
Respective payment cuts of €8/calf and €1.50/ewe for these schemes are coming down the tracks, as the funds secured in the budget proved insufficient in meeting the €75/cow and €13/ewe payment rates initially announced by then-minister for agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
Meeting
“We met the Minister on this issue this week and I made it very clear to him that even though the number of applicants is higher than expected, he needs to find the extra funding to deliver the promised amounts per animal,” Gorman stated.
“There has to be flexibility in the system to make this happen. We estimate an extra allocation of approximately €6m would mean he could meet the commitments of €75 per suckler cow and €13 per ewe.”
Gorman warned that paring payment rates back to €67/cow and €11.50/ewe will act to “annoy” farmers who have already incurred the costs of carrying out the schemes’ measures.
“While suckler and sheep farmers have had a better year, it has been a long time coming and incomes in the beef and sheep sectors are still low,” he said.
“It is positive that the number of applicants to the scheme is up and the Minister deserves credit for opening the schemes earlier.
“However, he should follow through and pay every applicant the full amount promised by his predecessor in last year’s budget.”
Read more
Payment cuts to beef and sheep schemes
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