MEP Ciaran Mullooly.

Government budget falls short on farming support – Mullooly

The government’s response to key agriculture sectors in crisis, particularly the tillage and suckler cow sectors, is wholly inadequate and falls far short of the €250 per hectare support sought by farm organisations, MEP Ciaran Mullooly said.

The budget provides just €30 million for tillage farmers, equating to €100 per hectare. “That leaves a massive shortfall at a time when many farmers are struggling to remain viable,” Mr Mullooly said.

This comes against the backdrop of new levies on farm inputs, including the Carbon Border Reduction Mechanism (CBRM), which is expected to increase fertiliser costs by up to €80 per tonne initially, rising to more than €250 per tonne by 2034. In total, the measure represents an additional levy of over €100 million on Irish agriculture in the years ahead.

Regarding suckler cow farmers, Mr Mullooly accused the government of a “blatant renege” on its pre-election pledge to support suckler cow farmers with grant assistance of €300 per cow.

“There’s nothing in this budget at all for these farmers who are already threatened out of existence,” he said.

The MEP highlighted the 35% decline in suckler cow numbers since 2013 and said this Budget once again fails to deliver the financial supports needed or to honour commitments made to beef farmers.

Young Farmer Regeneration

Mr Mullooly welcomed the extension of the Tax Relief for Young Farmers, describing it as a useful measure to encourage new entrants into the sector. However, he said the Budget was a missed opportunity to provide real backing for generational renewal.

He confirmed that he will be closely monitoring additional Irish Government funding for young farmers following the forthcoming Generational Renewal Commission report to ensure meaningful action is taken.

“I have been raising the urgency of Generational Renewal at European level, and I am confident that there will be additional supports from the EU. I now hope to see the same response from the Minister at home,”Mr Mullooly added.