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“The reality is that not only are farmers struggling with the complexity of this requirement, but neither Teagasc nor the Department have the tools to advise farmers of where they stand in a timely and accurate fashion.”
Measures that farmers could undertake in lieu of a 5% nitrogen reduction under the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) have been proposed by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA).
ICSA beef chair Edmund Graham has called for farmers who cannot meet the reduction to be given the option of using trailing shoe slurry spreading technology and/or protected urea as an alternative.
ICOS president Jerry Long with vice-president James O Donnell.
The agri-food industry is the sector most exposed and impacted by the change in relationship with the UK and this must be reflected in how the funding is used nationally, the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has said.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney confirmed the funding at the IFA AGM of the north Tipperary executive meeting on Tuesday night.
The support comes as part of the Brexit adjustment Reserve, which is worth a total of €5.4bn up until 2024.
A total of €4.2bn will be released this year and €1.5bn (25%) of that will be received by Ireland.
COVID-19 disruption and confusion over figures has led to calls for the 5% nitrates reduction requirement in the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) to be scrapped.
The payment reflected the extreme hardship farmers suffered due to Brexit factors beyond their control, Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) beef chair Edmund Graham said. Penalising farmers up to 100% of the payment would undo all the good and undermine the initial logic, he warned.
“Several marts have cancelled sales that were scheduled to take place this week due to the worsening COVID situation and we are likely facing many more weeks, if not months, of disruption to trading.
Cork man Dermot Kelleher is new ICSA president anglocelt.ie - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from anglocelt.ie Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Broad agreement on the need to eradicate TB was secured by the Department this week. \ Philip Doyle
The newly announced TB strategy will not succeed unless it is on the basis of mutual co-operation and fair play for all farmers, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) has cautioned.
ICSA animal health chair Hugh Farrell was reacting to news that the Department of Agriculture had reached broad agreement with all parties about the way forward on TB eradication.
“ICSA has engaged with the TB Forum from the start on the basis that we are all in this together. A minority of farmers cannot be sacrificed and that’s why ICSA is insisting on fair compensation in all cases,” Farrell said.