Kilkenny ICMSA call for reopening of China market to Irish beef imports
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As we approach the first anniversary of China’s suspension of Irish beef imports, Kilkenny ICMSA has requested a renewed effort towards a full reopening of that market. Denis Drennan, Chair of Kilkenny ICMSA, said that farmers and processors alike wanted to know how much progress had been made towards the full reopening that he said is categorically required.
“Next week marks a full year since the Chinese Government suspended beef imports from Ireland due to an atypical BSE case in a 14-year old animal,” said Mr Drennan, whose farm is at Dunbell.
‘Huge disappointment’ for farmers as details of REAP revealed
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Farming organisations have said they are stunned and disappointed by the details of the Results-Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme (REAP) while others have described the pilot as a “damp squib”.
Speaking after a meeting with the Department of Agriculture last week, IFA rural development chairperson, Michael Biggins said the details of REAP are a “damp squib”.
He said that after the all the hype, the Department confirmed that the budget for the new scheme for 2021 will only be €10m, out of the €79m for new agri-environment and other farm support measures announced in the Budget.
The new results scheme has been branded as shocking and hugely disappointing by farmers.
There has been an angry backlash among farm organisations to the results-based agri-environmental pilot (REAP) which had been billed as a REPS-style scheme and framed as an eventual successor to GLAS.
Tensions were high at a meeting between Department officials and farmer representatives on Thursday afternoon, where details of the new scheme were presented.
Farmers will be hugely disappointed by the scheme’s budget and the structure, ICMSA farm affairs chair Denis Drennan said.
It appears a sum of €10m has been allocated.
Drennan said the pilot was a “very far cry” from the version that had been spun. The overwhelming disappointment is the limited options available for all farmers, he said.
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