Farming Desk

will also be a board on animal health as it is important that organic farmers minimise the use of veterinary treatments.

We look forward to seeing you all at the farm walk. For more information, contact the Teagasc Castlerea office on 094 9620160.

The association says the Government must now set out where the full €1.1 billion is being allocated or whether it is going back to the EU.

IFA President Tim Cullinan recently raised the issue with Tánaiste Micheál Martin at meeting of the Brexit Stakeholder Forum.

‘Minister cannot stand over delayed payments’

promising a further €90/cow in the BEEP-s replacement scheme.

“A fully-funded BEEP-s scheme with €90/cow, along with the SCEP scheme, has the potential to return €240/cow on the first 22 cows on suckler farms,” he said.

“This would be a critical support for the sector to help arrest the decline in suckler cow numbers and support this low-income vulnerable sector from the input cost volatility which the sector cannot absorb”.

Government must come clean on Brexit fund – IFA

The IFA has said the Government must ‘come clean’ on where the €1 billion Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund has been allocated.

An IFA delegation met with the Department but according to officials only €50 million is going towards primary agriculture.

IFA President Tim Cullinan said the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue “cannot stand idly by while his officials railroad through changes which will mean up to a month’s delay in some farm payments”.

The Department recently met with IFA and other farming associations to negotiate a new Farmers’ Charter and proposed to significantly delay payments for this year. These proposals were objected by the IFA who accuse the Department of writing to farmers advising of new payment dates in spite of this.

“The Charter process is based on mutual respect and officials at the meeting made no attempt to take on board the points made by the IFA delegation,” he said.

The IFA President said the workings of Charter meetings cannot be undermined by this approach and he said the Minister must intervene.

“We will be seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister to address the situation and avoid a potential collapse in negotiations,” he said.

IFA Deputy President Brian Rushe, who led the IFA delegation, said an independent Chair to manage negotiations is needed.

Meanwhile, Rural Development Chair Michael Biggins said farmers, particularly those in the vulnerable sectors, simply cannot afford any delay in farm payments.