IFA to lobby over beef premium

The Irish Farmers Association will intensify its beef premium campaign today with a presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and a lobbying session with TDs and senators.

John Dillon, president, said farmers are angry with the way their beef premium payments have been cut and feel short- changed over decoupling. These cutbacks affect 29,000 farmers with producers facing an average penalty of €3,295.

He said a rally of over 1,300 livestock farmers in Portlaoise last week called on Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan and the Government to secure a solution to the cut of €95m in the 2004 beef premium payments to livestock farmers.