Irish sheep and suckler sector in urgent need of EU relief

With three out of every four sheep and suckler farmers earning less than minimum wage, the sector urgently needs EU relief, greater access to live exports and a review of the retail price, says ICSA president Patrick Kent.

The ICSA wants Agriculture Minister Michael Creed to ensure cattle and sheep farmers get a fair share of the Brussels rescue package, which it says favours dairy over other sectors. ICSA also says consumers would be shocked by how little the farmer gets from beef and lamb retail prices.

The ICSA was reacting to Teagasc’s report on the viability of Irish farms. Teagasc defines viability as minimum agricultural wage plus 5% return on investment. Only 37% of Irish farms were viable in 2015, while another 29% were only made viable by farmers working a second off-farm job.