Farm organisations have expressed serious misgivings over the Food Vision Beef and Sheep Group proposals and are united in their disillusionment by the process.

The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) walked away from the group on Friday, saying the group’s proposals on diversification and extensification of beef and sheep production was effectively a cull of the suckler herd. It said it has serious concerns about recommendations to reduce slaughter age to 24 months and the age of first calving to 24 months.

The IFA has said it will not sign up to the report as it stands, stating that it contains no plans to develop a viable suckler and beef sector.

No assessment

IFA livestock chair Brendan Golden said there has been no assessment carried out on the impacts of the report and that there is no indication of what funding would be available for the measures in the report.

Macra president John Keane said that there is “obvious unhappiness” among the membership of the group and called for “constructive negotiation” on the measures outlined in the report.

ICSA president Dermot Kelleher has called for ministerial intervention, stating that an impasse has been reached which cannot be surmounted without intervention and serious financial proposals.

ICMSA president Pat McCormack has said it is almost impossible for it to sign-on to both the Food Vision Dairy Group’s and the beef group’s proposals.

“We will want to see year-on-year dedicated funding that sets out the exact circumstances and qualifications for farmer access to the emissions reduction funding,” he said.

The draft report was received by the minister at the start of the month, with a final report expected to land on his desk by the end of the month.

It is understood that bilateral meetings are under way between Department officials and some of the farm organisations in an effort to end the stand-off.