Farmers angry at beef premium cuts

AN estimated 1,300 livestock farmers heard IFA president John Dillon call on Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan at a rally in Portlaoise to secure a solution to the cut of €95 million in the 2004 beef premium payments.

“Farmers are angry with the way their beef premium payments have been unjustifiably cut as a result of the overshoot and feel short-changed as a result of decoupling,” he said. IFA livestock committee chairman John Bryan said the IFA will intensify its beef premium campaign next week.

It will be taking the case to the Dáil.