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The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has doubled down in its rejection of the Food Vision beef and sheep group’s proposal to reduce the average age of cattle at slaughter.
It warned that forcing a cut in cattle slaughter age could affect suckler farmers and those seeking to finish cattle to heavier weights, as smaller carcases result from pursuing such policies.
The farming organisation walked out of the Food Vision stakeholder group in November over its concerns on the impact of the suckler proposals on farmers.
The move came after it found the proposals recommending that Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue open a suckler cow scrappage scheme and reduce the average slaughter age to 24 months unacceptable.
Concern
“Of immediate concern for the suckler sector is the proposal to reduce the age of slaughter to under 24 months,” the hill group’s president Vincent Roddy said.
Roddy referred to the option as being “an immediate threat to suckler farmers with larger-carcase breeds that cannot be finished at the ages proposed”, predicting a “glut of cattle” coming on stream for slaughter each spring.
“Unfortunately, the Minister seems determined to persist with this proposal irrespective of these concerns, which clearly undermines a stated objective of his - that being to protect the suckler sector.”
Alternative approach
The INHFA has called on policymakers to back options which assess beef efficiency in output terms, rather than slaughter age.
“Beyond this, we must also recognise how a 24-month slaughter date will reduce a farmer’s ability to maximise beef gain from grass by ruling out the second grazing season,” Roddy added.
The INHFA president further cautioned against following a lower slaughter age policy, citing concerns that high levels of meal could be fed to get cattle finished earlier.
Suckler cull ruled out
Roddy welcomed Minister McConalogue’s suggestion that a suckler cull scheme will not be opened by the Department of Agriculture.
“If introduced, [the scheme] would do enormous reputational damage to our naturally reared suckler beef sector and was something we discussed in length with the Minister prior to Christmas,” he said.
The hill farmers’ group is now calling on Minister McConalogue to “use the money planned for the reduction and exit proposal to support our suckler sector through a new welfare-type suckler scheme targeting extensive suckler systems”.
“Such support, in conjunction with an aggressive marketing campaign, can help deliver a sustainable future for our suckler farmers and the communities they support,” commented Roddy.
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