ICMSA Welcome Covid-19 Beef Package

ICMSA President, Pat McCormack, welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine of a €50m beef support package and said that it is recognition of the substantial losses suffered by beef producers due to Covid-19.

Mr. McCormack said that it is important to recognise that all farmers have suffered losses in beef due to Covid-19 and that the detailed rules of the scheme must respect the Beef Sector Agreement of 2019 which stated that all beef producers’ losses would be mitigated.  He said that beef prices have been in doldrums for over 18 months but particularly since Covid-19 hit in late March 2020. Mr. McCormack said that the compensation package must recognise the losses across steers, heifers, cows and bulls and he confirmed that ICMSA will meet with the Department on Monday to discuss the detailed rules of the scheme and will be pressing for the scheme to be straightforward with payments made as promptly as possible.

Ends       12 June 2020 

Pat McCormack, 087-7608958

President, ICMSA.

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office