Michael and Ornagh Darcy
Calf to store
Piercestown, Co Wexford
“That money will go straight into the hands of the factories and the feedlots. A proportion of the cattle is in feedlots and it will be just another tool for the factories, whereas it should go to the family farms.
“The people finishing the cattle are getting them cheaper. If we’re serious about protecting the beef industry, they have to target the family farm.”
John Dunne at the Teagasc dairy beef open day in Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford. \ Thomas Hubert
Suckler and calf to beef Portarlington, Co Offaly
“I think it should go directly to the finisher. The beef man was never one to hold on to money. He will bring it straight to the mart and send it back down along the line to the store or weanling producer.
“It’s the family farm that needs the support, not the factories that own feedlots or the feedlot operator, they have cashflow. There should be a limit on the number of cattle or the amount for each farmer. Giving everybody a little amount of money is purely a vote-getting exercise.”
John Gleeson, at Nenagh Mart.
Suckler and drystock Puckaun, Co Tipperary
“The money is just an election gimmick if you ask me. I’d be afraid it’s going to be like the Single Farm Payment and all the schemes that we have; 80% of the money going to 20% of the farmers.
“It’s always the smaller farmers, like myself, who are getting the raw deal – the weak are getting weaker. I’d like to see the smaller farms given preference with this fund to give them a chance.”
Joe Cahill, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, at Nenagh Mart.
Suckler and drystock Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary
“Personally, I’d love to see it coming as a payment per suckler cow because I think if the suckler cow isn’t supported, we will all be left rearing dairy stock in a few years.
“Unfortunately, at the moment it looks like most of the money will end up in the hands of the big finishers. At the same time, we have to remember that a lot of the trade in the marts depends on one or two of those big buyers standing around the ring.”
Michael Mitchell, Castlebar, Co Mayo. \ Frank Dolan.
Suckler to weanling/beef Castlebar, Co Mayo
“It should go to both finishers and to suckler farmers. Both are feeling a lot of pain since Brexit started to bite. The fairest way to pay it to cattle finishers is as a payment per kilo of beef sold since last autumn.
“To make the pot go as far is it can, the payment should be capped either up to a weight like 380kg or 400kg or a maximum per head. Where the farmer is bringing them to slaughter, they should receive a higher payment per animal than those that buy cattle to finish.”
John Morahan, Kilmaine, Co Mayo. \ Conor McKeown
Suckler to beef
Kilmaine, Co Mayo
“Factory feedlots should not qualify for any of the fund because of how they are used to control the market. The fund should be backdated to cover cattle slaughtered from the autumn onwards when price pressure started.
“The fairest way to pay it is on a payment per head, with higher payments for cattle slaughtered at higher carcase weights, as these cattle are the ones hit the hardest by lower prices and tougher price cuts. It probably should be capped at a 500kg carcase.”
Read more
Hogan secures €100m fund for beef farmers
€100m beef package 'in the next couple of months' – Taoiseach
Brexit compensation fund must be delivered to farmers by end of July – ICSA
Department to decide what farmers are eligible for €100m Brexit fund
€100m fund distribution ‘must be fair to all producers’ in beef chain
Michael and Ornagh Darcy
Calf to store
Piercestown, Co Wexford
“That money will go straight into the hands of the factories and the feedlots. A proportion of the cattle is in feedlots and it will be just another tool for the factories, whereas it should go to the family farms.
“The people finishing the cattle are getting them cheaper. If we’re serious about protecting the beef industry, they have to target the family farm.”
John Dunne at the Teagasc dairy beef open day in Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford. \ Thomas Hubert
Suckler and calf to beef Portarlington, Co Offaly
“I think it should go directly to the finisher. The beef man was never one to hold on to money. He will bring it straight to the mart and send it back down along the line to the store or weanling producer.
“It’s the family farm that needs the support, not the factories that own feedlots or the feedlot operator, they have cashflow. There should be a limit on the number of cattle or the amount for each farmer. Giving everybody a little amount of money is purely a vote-getting exercise.”
John Gleeson, at Nenagh Mart.
Suckler and drystock Puckaun, Co Tipperary
“The money is just an election gimmick if you ask me. I’d be afraid it’s going to be like the Single Farm Payment and all the schemes that we have; 80% of the money going to 20% of the farmers.
“It’s always the smaller farmers, like myself, who are getting the raw deal – the weak are getting weaker. I’d like to see the smaller farms given preference with this fund to give them a chance.”
Joe Cahill, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, at Nenagh Mart.
Suckler and drystock Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary
“Personally, I’d love to see it coming as a payment per suckler cow because I think if the suckler cow isn’t supported, we will all be left rearing dairy stock in a few years.
“Unfortunately, at the moment it looks like most of the money will end up in the hands of the big finishers. At the same time, we have to remember that a lot of the trade in the marts depends on one or two of those big buyers standing around the ring.”
Michael Mitchell, Castlebar, Co Mayo. \ Frank Dolan.
Suckler to weanling/beef Castlebar, Co Mayo
“It should go to both finishers and to suckler farmers. Both are feeling a lot of pain since Brexit started to bite. The fairest way to pay it to cattle finishers is as a payment per kilo of beef sold since last autumn.
“To make the pot go as far is it can, the payment should be capped either up to a weight like 380kg or 400kg or a maximum per head. Where the farmer is bringing them to slaughter, they should receive a higher payment per animal than those that buy cattle to finish.”
John Morahan, Kilmaine, Co Mayo. \ Conor McKeown
Suckler to beef
Kilmaine, Co Mayo
“Factory feedlots should not qualify for any of the fund because of how they are used to control the market. The fund should be backdated to cover cattle slaughtered from the autumn onwards when price pressure started.
“The fairest way to pay it is on a payment per head, with higher payments for cattle slaughtered at higher carcase weights, as these cattle are the ones hit the hardest by lower prices and tougher price cuts. It probably should be capped at a 500kg carcase.”
Read more
Hogan secures €100m fund for beef farmers
€100m beef package 'in the next couple of months' – Taoiseach
Brexit compensation fund must be delivered to farmers by end of July – ICSA
Department to decide what farmers are eligible for €100m Brexit fund
€100m fund distribution ‘must be fair to all producers’ in beef chain
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