Beef payments’ solution vital

Portlaoise: A solution to a €95 million cut in the 2004 beef premium payments to livestock farmers must be found, Irish Farmers Association president John Dillon told a producers’ rally in Portlaoise last night.

Mr Dillon said the beef premium overshoot, which occurred in December 2004, is a direct result of the EU policy changeover to full decoupling and Irish farmers cannot lose out as a result.

He said the former EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler told Irish farmers there should be no losses involved in the EU policy changeover to full decoupling.