IFA National Livestock Chairman Angus Woods and IFA Brussels Director Liam MacHale met with senior officials from Commissioner Hogan’s Cabinet in Brussels today to discuss the details of the €100m Brexit beef package announced by Commissioner Phil Hogan for Irish beef farmers.
Angus Woods said the €100m package is based on the submission IFA made to both the EU Commission and the Department of Agriculture earlier this year to cover the very severe Brexit beef price losses incurred by cattle farmers.
He said “Commissioner Hogan is very clear. The money needs to be paid out immediately to the beef farmers. The Commission has provided the necessary flexibility so the aid package can be finalised and payments made to farmers as soon as possible”.
The €100m Brexit beef package is made up of €50m provided from the EU Commission emergency market support measures, with the Government expected to provide matching funding of another €50m.
Angus Woods acknowledged Commissioner Hogan and Agriculture Minister Creed, along with their officials in the EU Commission and the Department of Agriculture, for their work on this. “When IFA presented our analysis to the Department of Agriculture, they understood and accepted that the case was properly researched and the figures were accurate.”
The IFA Livestock leader said the Department of Agriculture have all the data in respect of the losses incurred. IFA has submitted the full details of the analysis and calculations in arriving at the €100m loss package.
“Beef farmers have suffered savage price losses due to Brexit uncertainty and it is a welcome development that the EU Commission has recognised this and responded to the IFA proposal. Beef farmers have major bills to pay to banks, feed merchants and others.”