BEAM hopes now pinned on date extension

WHILE the ‘dropping’ of the 5% livestock cut in the BEAM scheme now seems unlikely, the IFA are pinning their hopes on a six months extension deadline for compliance.

Connacht IFA Regional Chair, Pat Murphy, told the Farming Tribune that a six months’ extension on the BEAM (Beef Exceptional Aid Measure) would at least give farmers under pressure on the 5% nitrogen (livestock) cut, some leeway.

“We have been putting on a lot of pressure for the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, to explore a means of giving farmers under pressure to meet the nitrogen deadline some breathing space.

“Initially, we had tried to get this clause removed from the scheme – which of course we never wanted included in the first place – but if that doesn’t happen, at least the deadline extension would be a big help,” said Pat Murphy.

He added that extending the deadline from June 30, 2021 to December 31, 2021, would ease the pressure on farmers to sell off stock in a shorter space of time.

“The last thing we want to see happening is for suckler farmers to have sell off some of their core stock – namely their cows – to meet the conditions of this scheme which was brought in at time when beef prices were under extreme pressure due to Brexit and other issues,” he said.

The IFA Connacht Chair has also called upon the Dept. of Agriculture to greatly simplify what farmers need to do in order to comply with the conditions of the scheme described the current criteria as ‘an absolute maze’ for farmers.

“What farmers are required to do must be made simple. It really is extremely complex at present for any farmer to try and work out his 5% nitrogen cut requirement in terms of stock numbers.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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