Plan to reward suckler farmers for excellence

THE IFA has proposed a new scheme to reward suckler farmers for excellence in animal welfare.

It would be financed from EU modulation funds and could deliver an annual payment of up to €80 per cow to approved herd owners, according to livestock committee chairman John Bryan.

He said the animal welfare improvement scheme for suckler herds envisages that modulation funds can be used to support best practice at the time of suckler weanling.