DEAR SIR: In the original structure of the single farm payment, the farmers who sold their calves and weanlings lost out.

The value of the weanlings dropped 35% as the purchaser no longer needed an animal to claim the punch.

Therefore, finishers and further grazers did very well in the re-structure of the single payment.

The money moved from the difficult grazing areas of the western seaboard to the finishing counties.

As a result, some payments by finishers/beef barons, as highlighted by the Irish Farmers Journal recently, are almost vulgar by national standards.

Farm organisations are made up of representatives from all these areas and again turmoil is starting and jostling over who gets what.

Whatever is done this time, structure it to take care of the family farm and bring the money back into the communities where it will be spent locally in local shops and businesses and support local communities.

Farm organisations and Government are there representing the majority of their membership and will be thanked for it.