A FoodWise 2025 beef group has identified “a need for additional support for sucklers”.

The group’s recommendation will heap further pressure on Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to deliver for the suckler sector in the upcoming budget.

The group, chaired by Michael Dowling, former secretary general at the Department of Agriculture, has made the call, despite Minister Creed continuously pointing out that such a payment from existing funds would slash farmers’ basic payments. Farmers will want to see fresh funds in place for the proposed suckler supports.

In a further development, the IFA will not be participating in next week’s Beef Forum.

Instead, livestock farmers will be protesting outside the meeting on Kildare Street.

“The IFA has tried to constructively engage at the Beef Forum but nothing has been delivered,” said IFA president Joe Healy.

‘‘Cattle farmers are raging with the way Minister Creed has allowed the factories to run amok with systematic cattle price cuts, inflicting severe losses on farmers, who are on their knees financially,” he said.

On Monday, a group of concerned beef farmers presented an 86-point action plan for the beef industry to the Meath IFA executive. They are seeking support from all the farm organisations for their plan.