ICSA: Funding needed for climate action in beef and sheep sectors in Ireland

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has today (Thursday, December 16) set out a series of proposals to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide substantial funding to active farmers in the beef, suckler, and sheep sectors. The association is calling for the funding to help farmers deliver “win/win” solutions on climate change. In a meeting with Minister Charlie McConalogue, ICSA president Dermot Kelleher said that the achievement of climate targets is totally dependent on keeping farmers viable in the cattle and sheep sectors. “Policies that involve getting farmers to quit or to substantially undermine the productivity of their farms is a road to nowhere,” Kelleher said. “Land will have to be farmed and food will have to be produced and the question is how to do this with the correct balance between profit and sustainability. “ICSA is adamant that [this] means a resilient beef finishing sector as well as keeping our less intensive suckler and ...