The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) will hold a protest in Roscommon town on Monday morning 13 February at 10am to highlight the current income crisis on sheep farms.

This issue, the IFA said, is deepening on sheep farms across the country.

The latest price cut has angered sheep farmers who are grappling with very severe input costs, IFA president Tim Cullinan has argued.

“The margins on sheep farms have been trimmed to the bone, having fallen by 81% to just €7/ewe, which includes the Sheep Welfare Scheme payment. Factories cannot expect producers to keep going on this margin,” he said.

Critical

The income crisis facing sheep farmers has reached a critical stage and requires immediate action from the Government, he added.

"[The] IFA has made a strong case to Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to provide targeted support of €30/ewe to sheep farmers by building on the supports already announced in the Sheep Improvement Scheme of €12/ewe for this year," he said.

IFA sheep chair Kevin Comiskey said the level of anger among farmers at a meeting in Tuam, Co Galway, on Wednesday night with the Government’s failure to support the sector was plain for all to see.

He said the challenges facing the sector were pointed out last spring to the Minister.

"No action was taken by him and sheep farmers paid a heavy price, with incomes effectively wiped out, dropping by over 80% to €7/ewe through a combination of input cost increases and market failures.

“We are now facing into a similar, or even more challenging, year and the Government must clearly set out what support is there for the sector," he said.