Calls for Agriculture Minister to reverse approach to BEEP suckler scheme

A Donegal Deputy is calling on the Agriculture Minister to immediately reverse his approach regarding linear cuts to the new Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) suckler scheme.
The Minister said this week in the Dáil that there would be a linear cut to BEEP payments if the programme was oversubscribed.
In a statement, Fianna Fáil Agriculture Spokesperson and Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue said that these comments will gravely concern tens of thousands of suckler farmers who were considering signing up to the scheme.
Deputy McConalogue says the move is totally unacceptable for hard pressed farmers who were promised a payment of up to €40 per calf as part of the Budget 2019 announcement.
“Given how beef prices are currently depressed, combined with a potential no deal Brexit, which poses a grave threat to the sector; the Minister should be doing everything within his power to give certainty to suckler farmers for this pilot scheme.
Deputy McConalogue is urging the Minister to provide certainty for farmers applying to this pilot and reassure farmers there will be no change to payments which were originally promised.