The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has reiterated calls for a minimum of €100 per calf payment for farmers rearing dairy beef calves following the recently published 10-point action plan on supporting farmers in such systems.

Funding is the first and most fundamental component, according to IFA Livestock chair Declan Hanrahan, which is a guaranteed return for the financial and labour investment required of farmers for almost two years.

Despite encouraging results from optimum trial conditions on a select few farms, over 60% of farmers exit this production systems in five years, he said.

Without meaningful targeted funding, the plan will not provide a long-term sustainable solution for dairy calf-to-beef systems, Hanrahan argued.

This payment must then be built on for the finishing stage and include calves from the suckler herd with another €100/animal payment.

IFA dairy chair Stephen Arthur said within the 10-point plan, there are almost 40 sub-actions outlined, with the ambition to create a more vibrant dairy beef sector.

“We were forthright in our position that additional funds were needed to support this sector. Without financial support, all other actions become meaningless.

“The consultation process was launched without the input of farm representatives in January, with only an online meeting provided to gather the views of farm organisations in February,” he said.

Deaf ears

The key points put forward have fallen on deaf ears, according to the IFA, and the plan has the same failings as the one originally put forward for the consultation process.

There is a need, Arthur said, to have sustainable rearing systems for the calves that are not exported and critical to this is a financial support system for the farmers involved in rearing and finishing dairy beef calves.

“Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue must come forward with a meaningful budget to support this plan and ensure we have a sustainable and economically viable system for rearing and finishing dairy beef calves for the farmers involved,” he concluded.