Sheep Sector Uncertain - Farming | farming news | cattle prices | ifa

Sheep Sector Uncertain

Written by Cian MacSweeny
Friday, 20 June 2008
IFA President Padraig Walshe, speaking today in Athenry at the Teagasc Farmfest ’08, said that in order for the Irish sheep sector to continue to be a feasible source of income, the factories must pay a viable lamb price to producers and the Government delivering on its commitments to the sector. The sheep sector in Ireland injects €400 million into the economy annually. 34,000 Irish farmers produce million sheep for export, or 49,000 tonnes. Mr. Walshe said that in order for producers to stop the serious reduction in ewe numbers and reverse the current decline in the sheep sector, they need to see prices of at least €5.00/kg. The IFA President added, “Well-respected sheep expert, Professor Frank Crosby from UCD, recently published figures showing that to make a minimum margin of €20 per ewe, producers would need a lamb price of €5.10/kg in 2008.” Padraig Walshe noted that in order to restore producer confidence, the new Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith needs to quickly remove the obstacles holding back the payment of the €34m sheep package committed by the Government to the sector last year. The IFA President said his association has given detailed proposals to the Department of Agriculture on the REPS supplementary measure on mixed grazing which would allow drawdown of this package. He also said that the IFA have called for the re-opening of the capital grant aid package on sheep handling facilities and fencing. He stated “this week in the European Parliament, 492 MEPs endorsed a report demanding urgent EU action to support the sheep sector. The report by Irish MEP Liam Alyward proposed the introduction of a new sheep maintenance payment to recognise the positive environmental attributes associated with sheep production, to be co-financed by national and EU funding.” From their peak of 4.8 million in 1992, Irish ewe breeding numbers have fallen by 44% to 2.7 million in 2008.

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