CAP proposals risk hitting productive family farms, say processors

Submission detailed how EU and national policies have already greatly reduced the supply of Irish livestock for processing. Ireland’s suckler beef herd now stands at 767,000 animals, having declined from a peak of 1.1 million animals in 2013

Meat Industry Ireland said CAP payments form a critical part of total income for farmers supplying the Irish beef and lamb processing sectors. However, these payments have been reduced for commercial and active farmers who had worked to build payment entitlements, with funding redistributed to less commercial operators.

Irish meat processors have warned the EU may further damage the already reduced supply of livestock to the industry, which generates €4.4bn a year in exports and employs thousands in rural Ireland.

According to Meat Industry Ireland (MII), 2025 was one of the most difficult years in recent times for processors. The prime cattle kill was down by 150,000 head, while sheep throughput was reduced by about 500,000 head.