Teagasc director Gerry Boyle has said that suckler farmers need to prioritise their incomes and not lock horns with the dairy industry.

“There’s no point of having a herd of suckler cows if a farmer isn’t making a decent income for themselves or their family,” Boyle told the joint committee on agriculture on Wednesday 14 April.

He said that, unfortunately, in most situations suckler farmers would be making a net loss without the support of basic payments.

“I see nothing whatsoever wrong in advocating other options such as dairy-beef or contract-rearing heifers as long as those offered profit,” he said.