IFA: 'Wrong to exclude dairy from Brexit beef scheme'

Excluding beef cattle from dairy farmers in the Brexit beef scheme was wrong and should be changed immediately, the Irish Farmers Association insisted yesterday.

Dairy Committee chairman Tom Phelan said the proposal was discriminatory, unfair and to the best of his knowledge, unprecedented.

“Agriculture Minister Michael Creed must review the scheme so that dairy farmers are treated the same as all other farmers.

“The scheme was meant for the genuine farmers who had lost money producing beef because of Brexit.

Dairy farmers producing beef cattle have lost money on these animals during the reference period, and must be included.

“Quite apart from the unfairness displayed by the Minister towards an entire farming sector, I am also concerned that this sets a very dangerous precedent that anyone who genuinely cares about the sustainable development of Irish agriculture should avoid at all cost,” he said.

Lobbied

Mr Phelan said IFA president Joe Healy had spoken with Minister Creed about the issue and Cabinet members had also been lobbied.

Meanwhile, the IFA sought the support of Irish members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week as part of its campaign against the Mercosur trade deal.

Excluding beef cattle from dairy farmers in the Brexit beef scheme was wrong and should be changed immediately, the Irish Farmers Association insisted yesterday.