Suckler farmers won’t be fall guy

“The truth is that the suckler herd has already fallen in numbers, so it is simply not true to blame sucklers when it comes to the climate targets."

ICSA insist they will not accept any proposal from the Food Vision process that makes suckler farming “the fall guy” for the climate targets.

“There has been a lot of speculation that the suckler herd will be sacrificed to maintain dairy numbers. This is an exaggeration... However, ICSA is adamant that it will only support a final Food Vision agreement provided that the suckler, beef, and sheep sectors get fair play and that there is a strategy to allow expansion for those who want to,” said president Dermot Kelleher.

He said that in many parts of the country suckler farming is the only viable option.

“The truth is that the suckler herd has already fallen in numbers, so it is simply not true to blame sucklers when it comes to the climate targets. In any event, we all need to stand up for our livestock farming systems which are not the major cause of global warming that some commentators like to portray. The facts are that the national herd is essentially stable since 1973, during which time world population doubled.”

“A key element will be proposals to help the beef finishing sector. This sector has got nothing out of the CAP Strategic Plan. In fact, the beef finishing sector has been hardest hit by convergence of Pillar 1 payments. The sector is also challenged by the ever-worsening beef merit in the dairy herd, and this will have to be addressed.