24 MAY 2019

ICSA suckler chair John Halley has said he will be batting for suckler farmers to get their fair share of the €100m Brexit support package for beef farmers. “Since March 2017 weanlings have been back 30 to 40 cent a kilo. That equates to losses of between €120 to €160 a head for top quality weanlings. Those are massive losses for a suckler farmer to bear.”

“While finishers are able to cut their cloth according to their measure when they go back to the ring, suckler farmers are not so fortunate as they just have to take what they can get. It must be remembered, if the finishers don’t have the raw material to work with then the finisher will have to produce the calves for themselves.”

“It is imperative that the suckler farmer is protected and the losses they have suffered must be taken into consideration when the support funds are being allocated. When the finisher sneezes, it’s the suckler farmer that gets the flu.”

ENDS