The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) is looking for a €300 payment per suckler cow and a further €100/head payment to incentivise the slaughter of cattle before 24 months of age.

This scheme could act as a replacement to the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP), but the capping of a participating farmer’s herd size would not be an acceptable feature of the initiative, according to the ICSA.

A €35/ewe expansion of the Sheep Welfare Scheme to include additional measures, such as a payment for shearing and the correct management of wool fleeces, is needed for the sheep sector, the farm group said in its submission to the Government.

Also being sought by the ICSA is a €100m a year boost to the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), which it says would be sufficient to allow all farmers looking to enter the scheme to do so.

Tax

The group voiced opposition to proposals by the Commission on Taxation to treble the amount of PRSI paid by farmers.

To ease the burden the USC places on farmers, it asked the Government to extend PAYE relief to USC and called for an increase in the threshold under the charge.

Land sales should be taxed at 2% for the first €500,000 and 7.5% should apply on the remainder, the ICSA said.

Diesel

On green diesel excise duties, it said that the 2c/l cut enacted by the Government should be extended to the end of 2023.

The Government should also commission a review examining the possibility of capping diesel prices to keep fuel affordable, the ICSA stated.

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