THE IRISH FARMERS’ Association (IFA) has welcomed the news that the government will provide €50 million for beef farmers impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Announcing that Cabinet had today approved the funding, agriculture minister Michael Creed said he was “acutely aware” of the impact the pandemic is having on beef farmers and the rural economy. 

“Farmers with finished animals have suffered a dual impact over recent months: reduced prices and a reduced kill. This support for the beef sector is an emergency response to a dramatic economic shock, to mitigate the worst Covid-19 economic impacts on these farm enterprises,” Creed said. 

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Irish farmers, many of whom took to picket lines in response to low beef prices in the last 12 months, were already braced for Brexit before the pandemic. 

Today, the IFA backed the new funding. 

 “The details of the scheme and the small print will be very important. IFA is set to meet with the Department of Agriculture next Monday to progress the scheme details further,” IFA President Tim Cullinan said. 

The meat processing industry has been under the spotlight during the pandemic, with a large number of clusters among staff in factories. 

Creed said that the new scheme will have to be submitted to the EU to ensure it meets state aid rules put in place for the Covid-19 pandemic. 

He also announced that the Beef Taskforce will meet at the end of June via video conference.