Tipperary farming: ICSA calls for dairy farmers to be left out of €100m aid scheme

It was “unconscionable” that money from the €100m beef aid scheme (BEAM) would be directed towards dairy farmers, according to the newly-elected president of ICSA.

Edmond Phelan was reacting to comments by both ICMSA and IFA that dairy farmers who had lost earnings on beef cattle should be included in the scheme worked out between the Government and the EU.

However, Mr Phelan said it must be directed solely at the lowest farm income sectors.

“This fund must be for those whose primary farm enterprise is dependent on the state of the beef trade and who have suffered the greatest hardship from Brexit related price pressures. The expectation from the outset was that finishers and suckler farmers would be the beneficiaries,” he said.

Mr Phelan said that farm income figures for 2018 showed that suckler farmers and beef finishers were on their knees, with average family farm income on suckler farms dipping to an estimated €8,318 in 2018 - a reduction of 22% on 2017, with beef finishers earning approximately €14,408, down 11% on the 2017.

“This is where the money must be directed. It is unconscionable to think that money would be diverted from these farmers to dairy farmers who despite having a relatively bad year themselves, still managed earnings of €61,273 in 2018.” said the ICSA president.

Mr Phelan said that it “defies logic” for anyone to lobby for their inclusion in this particular exceptional aid measure.

“There was a dairy rescue package a few years ago and there was no question of some of that money going to beef finishers or suckler farmers,” he pointed out.

Mr Phelan said ICSA had many full-time finishers who felt frustrated that the scheme was limited to 100 animals.

These farmers who are fully dependent on their beef farming enterprise have seen losses of over €100/head on hundreds of animals. Some of these farmers have lost in excess of €30,000 on this year’s trading and the limit of €10,000 will not go anywhere near meeting their losses, he said.

ICSA wants the limit increased to 200 animals which, he said, would be of massive benefit to full-time beef farmers and would benefit other farmers by keeping them in business at the mart ringsides.

Meanwhile, the country’s main farming associations criticised the decision to leave dairy farmers out of the €100m aid package.

ICMSA again met Minister Creed to stress the association’s conviction that dairy farmers producing beef “must” be included in the share-out of the Brexit beef fund.

ICMSA president and Tipperary farmer Pat McCormack led a delegation to Agriculture House last week where the case for including dairy farmers who had suffered losses on their beef operation was made repeatedly, with the ICMSA delegation pointing out that simple fairness and consistency demanded that all farmers involved in beef production were eligible for a share of the fund.

Mr McCormack has been backed by IFA national dairy chair Tom Phelan who described the decision as “unfair”.

Mr McCormack rejected outright any idea that there existed a hierarchy of losses, with the losses suffered by some categories of farmers elevated and prioritised over others.

Mr McCormack said that it was vital that the impression was not given that policy on matters like this was a matter of manoeuvre or “the angriest voices getting the biggest slice”.

“It seems very straightforward to ICMSA that the only workable and fair basis for distribution of the Brexit beef fund is that any farmer who can demonstrate Brexit-related losses should be eligible,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tom Phelan said that it was wrong of Minister Creed to exclude prime beef cattle from dairy farmers from the scheme and it should be changed immediately.

“The IFA president has spoken to the Minister about this and IFA has also lobbied other Cabinet members on the issue,” he said.

Mr Phelan said that he would add that it was it discriminatory, unfair and to the best of his knowledge, unprecedented.

“Dairy farmers producing beef cattle have lost money on these animals during the reference period, and must be included,” Mr Phelan said.