Co-op body calls for Smith to protect farm schemes in budget

ICOS, the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, has called on Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith to protect and maintain the national suckler cow welfare scheme and disadvantaged area payments in the forthcoming budget.

It said the objectives of the suckler scheme are to improve welfare standards for animals and to improve the overall genetic quality and performance of the national suckler herd.

ICOS said that from an economic perspective, the disadvantaged areas scheme is particularly significant, contributing to the support of more than 100,000 Irish farm families, whose ability to farm is restricted by the physical environment including the impact of the wet, cold climatic conditions in Ireland.