Entitlements should be used to allocate sheep and beef COVID funding - McAleer

Mr McAleer said: “Every farmer has been impacted by this pandemic and various reports point to an overall farmgate decrease in cattle of around £240/head during the pandemic and a decrease in sheep in the region of £31/head.

“Input costs have risen substantially during the pandemic with farmers reporting that fertilizer went up by £15 per tonne and feed by £25-£30 per tonne. We are all in this together, every farmer is impacted.

“Hotels, restaurants and the food service sector was the market for 35%-40% of beef and lamb and their lockdown has precipitated a sudden collapse in prices that has been felt along the supply chain from the finishers to the hill producers.

“I made a strong case to the Minister that due to very low incomes and the loss of the ANC payment that sheep and beef farmers are particularly impacted by the COVID crisis and more vulnerable to its impact. Their average incomes, according to NISRA are less than half the regional average and this makes the other COVID measures such as the Self Employed Income Support Scheme of little benefit to them.

“The department has identified dairy and horticulture as target areas for this funding. I accept that devastating losses have been experienced in these sectors but the 20,000 sheep and beef farmers, who are 80% of all farms in the north, have also suffered devastating losses as a result of the pandemic,” he added.

“I have written to the Minister requesting that at least £15 million of this pot be ring fenced for the sheep and beef sector and farm entitlements be used as a means to allocate the funding.

“I believe this would be fair and would also be very efficient as the department currently has the most up to date information on farmers’ entitlements from the recent SAF applications in May. By using this method, the Minister could achieve his aim of getting the funding into farmers’ bank accounts as quickly as possible.

“In addition to this, if the department, in consultation with industry presented compelling and demonstrable evidence of a particularly adverse impact on a specific sector then we would also be supportive of a portion of the fund being targeted through a headage scheme like the sheep welfare scheme and the beef emergency aid scheme in the south, although with specific rates dependant on the funding available. However, entitlements should be used as the main criteria for allocating the bulk of this funding.

“The impact of this COVID crisis has been felt right across the industry and society. There is no illusion that this £25 million will solve all of the problems experienced by the agrifood sector but it is very welcome and must be allocated fairly and swiftly to help address some of the challenges the sector is currently experiencing,” he added.