Latest news with #BeefWelfareScheme
Agriland
24-04-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Beef Plan: ‘Realistic' Irish cattle prices must be maintained
Beef farmers 'have been waiting for ten years to secure realistic prices' according to John Maloney, vice chair of Beef Plan. Maloney also hopes that strong farm gate returns will be 'maintained'. But the vice chair of the beef farmers' organisation has also warned that a poor Mercosur deal could hold Irish beef prices below the waterline. He also fears that the Irish government could 'cave in' to pressure from other EU member states, who want to get a Mercosur agreement reached either before the end of this year or early in 2026. Cattle prices The Beef Plan vice chair added: 'Talk that a trade deal with the Mercosur block would see only 99,000t of South American beef coming into the EU is not really the issue. 'I have no doubt that Mercosur countries will target Europe with high-end beef cuts, for the most part. And this eventuality would almost certainly harm Irish beef prices. 'What's more, talk that a Mercosur deal will open up dairy export opportunities for Irish exporters is nothing more than a red herring. Hopefully, this is a reality that the Irish government will fully recognise.' Given this backdrop, Beef Plan has started a petition, through its social media channels, for farmers and other members of Irish society to confirm their opposition to a Mercosur deal. According to Maloney, approximately 1,500 people had signed up to the petition within hours of it going live., with the plan to circulate the final results amassed to all irish MEPs and TDs. 'The time to protest against a Mercosur deal is now,' he said. The video accompanying the Beef Plan petition highlights lower beef production standards allegedly in place across the Mercosur region, relative to those legislated for in Europe. In addition, the aforementioned 99,000t of beef imports from South America would come into the EU free of tariffs, which will further impact prices. The Beef Plan video also suggests that while the EU wants to cut cattle numbers in the face of climate change, many South American countries continue to cut down rainforest to facilitate higher levels of beef production. Meanwhile, Beef Plan has cautiously welcomed the decision by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon to boost funding levels for the 2025 Beef Welfare Scheme by 25%. Maloney said: 'It is vital for suckler farmers to be adequately supported into the future.'
Agriland
22-04-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Heydon confirms specifics on new suckler scheme
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has today (Tuesday, April 22) confirmed specifics on the new €28 million scheme for suckler farmers. The budget has been increased by 40% this year and the cap on eligible calves has been lifted from 40 to 45 heads. On announcing the payment, Minister Heydon said: 'The 2024 Beef Welfare Scheme proved to be very popular among the target population with the budget allocation fully spent and over 23,000 farmers paid for participating in it.' The maximum payment that a farmer can receive will now rise from €2,000 to €3,375 for correctly completing three scheme actions. That's an increase of 69% in the total maximum payable. Eligible calves include those born to eligible suckler cows in the period from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. The scheme will open in early August, as it did in previous years, and the minister said that he is announcing the actions required in advance to 'give certainty and predictability'. This year's scheme will consist of three measures aimed at improving on-farm efficiency: Meal Feeding pre-weaning and post-weaning is a mandatory action at €35/weanling; €35/weanling; Vaccination is an optional action which participants (or their FAS advisors acting on their behalf) must select at application stage. €15/weanling; Faecal egg testing or silage testing are optional actions which must be selected at application stage. €25/weanling. The maximum number of calves eligible for payment per participant is 45 under each category. In the event of the scheme being oversubscribed, a reduction in the maximum number of animals eligible for payment may be applied on one or more actions. 'When coupled with the SCEP [Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme], participants in the 2025 BWS [Beef Welfare Scheme] will be eligible to receive €225 per cow/calf pair for the first 22 pairs,' Minister Heydon said. Full details and terms and conditions of the suckler scheme will be available on the department website in advance of the scheme opening.
