Emergency action needed to rescue the sheep sector

Sligo Leitrim TD Marian Harkin has called on the Minister for Agriculture to immediately put in place a programme of emergency aid for the sheep sector.

In the Dáil Ms Harkin told the Taoiseach she had just spent half an hour outside the gate of Leinster House meeting sheep farmers from Sligo, Mayo and Donegal, “It's a long time since I've met such a dejected group,” she said, “some of them are at their wits end many are on the floor, working for nothing and losing money. Meanwhile they watch French and other European farmers get up to €8 per kilo for their ewes as they get €5.80 to €6.”

The Deputy said these farmers find themselves at the mercy of the factories where there’s no real chain of accountability while input prices climb to a record high.

“I met men who told me it’s not just that they will have to cut back on stock this autumn, there are rows at home because there is no money and they are selling assets to pay college fees,” she said.

The Deputy told the Taoiseach that the Minister for Agriculture must immediately come to the table with an emergency aid package to include a €30 per ewe increase in the Sheep Improvement Scheme and the award of an extra €5 per ewe for correct presentation of wool.

“Mr McConalogue needs to set up a proper sheep forum, just like the beef forum, and fully implement the 2019 Task Force recommendations,” Deputy Harkin said, “This also includes stepping up promotional work by Bord Bia and exploring the possibility of securing EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for grass-fed Irish lamb,” Deputy Harkin concluded.