July 29, 2019

Ireland announces new fund to help Irish beef farmers
 

Ireland has announced a EUR100 million (US$111.3 million) fund for its beef farmers who are grappling with the implications of the looming Brexit.

According to Irish agriculture minister Micheal Creed, the fund - called the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) - will be supported by a combination of EU exceptional aid and Exchequer support and is "provided in light of the difficult circumstances that Irish beef farmers have been facing as a result of market volatility and uncertainty arising out of Brexit."

BEAM is a demand-led, voluntary programme that caters mainly to the most affected farmers who meet an initial eligibility criteria.  Participants must be a member of a Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme or a Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) environmental scheme. They must also be able to cut down the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen (total figure) per herd by 5% for a target period (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021) compared to a reference period (July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019).

Aid will be paid on adult cattle slaughtered between September 24, 2018, and May 12, 2019, at a rate of EUR100 (US$111.30) per animal subject to a maximum of 100 finished animals per herd. Aid will also be paid on suckler cows that calved in 2018, at a rate of EUR40 (US$45) per animal subject to a maximum of 40 sucklers per herd.

Dairy herds are not eligible for the measure, with the exception of dairy herds of less than 40 dairy cows. In addition, exclusion from the aid includes animals controlled by slaughtering establishments, and dealer/agent herds.

- Irish Examiner