The Galway County Council is calling on leaders of political parties in Dáil Éireann to support the suckler beef sector and support the viability of family farms in areas where other enterprises like dairying are not feasible.
The motion tabled by Independent councillor Geraldine Donohue at the local authorities plenary meeting at GMIT on Friday morning asks the Government to commit to initiating a new agri-environmental scheme whereby a qualifying farmer can draw down payments equivalent to those that were available under the old Rural Environment Protection scheme
The motion asked the Government to provide within the same scheme for an optional suckler cow welfare measure that will allow qualifying farmers to draw down €300 on each cow up to a maximum of 17 cows.
