Lobby groups keep pressure on Dairy Beef payment
Farm groups are focussing their lobbying efforts on the Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme.
The chair of Cavan IFA Maurice Brady told the Celt they are pursuing their campaign for the scheme to be increased to €100 per calf. They had argued for this ahead of the budget, and believe that helped achieve the announced doubling of the payment rate up from €20/calf to €40/calf. Despite the increase in the rate, the scheme remains limited to 50 calves per farm.
Mr Brady admitted the IFA may not achieve the full increase up to the desired €100 in one increase, but is confident they will get it over time. They contend that the farmer who rears the cattle, rather than the breeder, is deserving of the additional payment.
“It’s a good incentive for dry stock farmers to do a bit of dairy beef calf rearing and it has become more popular in recent years but it is a high cost enterprise.
“We are insisting that any additional payments to the farmers go to those who are involved in rearing the calves,” said Mr Brady.
This is also the focus of the ICMSA’s Livestock Committee Chairperson, Michael O’Connell. Mr O’Connell called on Minister Martin Heydon to announce the details on the allocation of the additional €20 per head.
Mr O’Connell said hoped that “common sense would prevail” around the distribution of funding.
“While the additional funding is small, it’s welcome, and it’s hugely important that the details around this extra payment – and who’ll receive it – are published quickly so that interested farmers can make informed decisions just as calf sales hit peak levels in the coming weeks,” said the ICMSA Chairperson.
ICMSA believes strongly that the additional €20 per calf should be targeted at ‘calf rearers’ whether that person is the breeder of that calf or not.
“Technologies such as sexed semen has reduced the need for use of excess dairy straws and that has resulted in a greater focus on producing quality beef-bred calves from the dairy herd.
“There is a strong demand for our calves in the domestic and international markets, but that potential is being hampered by the relative shortage of people willing to rear the calves - which is time consuming and expensive - and thus we need incentives for people rearing the calves.
“ICMSA believes that this additional payment needs to be made to the person doing that ‘rearing’ to acknowledge and reward the work and investment. “This payment is not going to be a ‘make-or-break’ contribution to the rearer, but it could be the kickstart that is needed to bolster a worthwhile dairy calf to beef production system and underpin the viability of these systems,” said Mr O’Connell.
The Association has been critical of what it describes as the “lukewarm and underpowered” scheme that was introduced. They insist a “properly funded and designed” scheme would improve carbon efficiency and the reflect how approximately 60% of cattle slaughtered in Ireland now come from the dairy herd.