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Membership

ICSA has been representing the interests of drystock farmers for the last 15 years. Our main areas of concern are the advancement and development of beef, sheep and suckler farmers. We have an excellent track record for bringing about fundamental changes in legislation over the past number of years, most notably in securing decoupling.

Membership Development Officers:

 

Michael Foley (Leinster)

(087) 2909938

Kornelia Salber (Munster)

(086) 3260896

Michael Burke (Connaught)

(086) 2331678

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Why Join ICSA?

  • The Cattle and Sheep sector has the lowest family farm income in farming
  • You need a specialist organisation to fight for and represent the needs of this sector
  • ICSA is that organisation

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Beef Farmersbeeef

  • Campaigning for €1 more per kilo for beef
  • First farm organisation to call for the implementation of a 15 point quality based payment grid with O3 as the base price
  • Looking to expand continental markets for Irish beef
  • Prioritising the development of the clean, green image of Ireland as the key to selling more beef to high priced, retail markets
  • Challenging all deductions from your factory cheques

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Sheep Farmerssheep copy

  • €1 more for lamb
  • Supporting quality lamb producers
  • Fighting for special supports for hill sheep farmers and the use of unused national reserve & modulated funds to be spent on the sheep sector
  • Campaigning for a substantial aid package for sheep farmers
  • Challenging introduction of Electronic ID of sheep
  • Calling for ring fenced funding for sheep farmers as promised under the Malone report

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Suckler Farmerssuckler

  • Fighting for a fairer price for beef finishers so they can pass on a proper price to the suckler farmers
  • Demanding payment for quality with proper bonuses for U and R grade cattle
  • Campaigning for better prices in the ring
  • Looking to expand continental markets for Irish weanlings
  • Protecting of our vital live exports
  • Less bureaucracy and red tape

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Rural Developmentrural

  • Challenging unnecessary farm inspections
  • Fighting against savage budget cuts to farmers, particularly in disadvantaged areas
  • Working to sort out problems and delays under REPS
  • Exploring opportunities under alternative energies such as anaerobic digestion

 

 

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 We work harder for you!workingharder

  • Secured decoupling for Irish farmers
  • First farm organisation in Europe to lobby the EU to ban Brazilian beef
  • Highlighted the difference between low lamb prices to farmers and high retail prices
  • Secured €17.5 million beef premium overshoot package
  • Negotiated UK land bridge crossing for live exports to the EU
  • Demanded and got a reduction in slurry storage requirements under nitrates directive
  • Secured increased grant aid rates of 60% and 70% for pollution control
  • Fought for and achieved increase of €242/ HA REPS payment for western hill farmers
  • Secured country of origin labelling for beef

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ICSA – The Quality Cattle Organisationquality cattle

  • Only farm organisation in Ireland to clearly demand payment for quality beef carcasses. No Ifs. No Buts. No Maybes
  • We want the same level of bonus for R and U grade cattle over O and P grade cattle that is commonplace in EU markets where we sell beef
  • Quality cattle policy has a direct benefit to suckler farmers and breeders of quality pedigree beef bulls
  • Supportive of suckler welfare scheme at full rate and of ICBF efforts to improve breeding standards in the beef sector

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ICSA – Where Cattle & Sheep Farmers come firstcattlesheep

  • We don’t take any levies when you sell your stock
  • Your interests are top of the priority list
  • We don’t try to be all things to all men
  • As a member you will have a voice to influence change

 

 

 

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Together we cantogetherwecan

  • We have delivered in the past, and with your support, we can continue to do so in the future
  • Why curse the darkness when you can light a candle by joining ICSA?
  • The more members we have, the more we can achieve for quality cattle and sheep farmers
  • Is it fair to leave it to your neighbour?
  • Less than €2/ week allows you to have an influence on your future, access to advice and support when you are in trouble

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Depend on ICSA to fight for a fair share for farmersfairshare

  • ICSA is fully dependent on its members, that’s why we take their concerns so seriously
  • Fighting against supermarket power and dominance, which has forced down the farmers share of the final retail price
  • Keeping the pressure up for realistic farm gate prices- €1 more for beef and lamb, 40c/l for milk
  • Lobbying the EU to control and regulate supermarket power – calling for publication of profit levels in each country, margins and a minimum share of the final retail price for farmers for basic commodities such as fresh meat, milk and potatoes
  • Reversal of temporary budget cuts

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Working for you – to loosen up the red taperedtape

  • Campaign to abolish the herd register (blue book)
  • Challenging unnecessary and over-zealous farm inspections
  • Opposing Electronic ID for sheep sector
  • Bureaucrats can make mistakes, why not farmers?

 

 

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ICSA – The association that brought you decouplingdecoupling

  • ICSA will fight for the future of your Single Farm Payment
  • Only farm organisation to campaign in favour of Single Payment from the very start
  • 7 different schemes with multiple applications and deadlines all rolled into a single application with a single payment
  • Freedom to keep less stock when prices are bad, when ground is wet or when feed is scarce
  • ICSA delivered full decoupling for Irish farmers against all odds
  • ICSA is the association you can trust to fight for the future of your Single Payment and the only association that you can trust to keep payments decoupled
  • Working now for a better budget for CAP post 2013

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Keeping an eye to the future for young farmersyoungfarmers

  • Insisting on a fair deal on Single Payments at National Reserve Committee for young farmers
  • Fighting to reverse installation aid suspension
  • Looking for the best possible facilities/options for young farmer training and education
  • Delivered quota access for young farmers who haven’t had a milk quota
  • Arguing for more liberal access to quota for all qualified young farmers

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ICSA – Your partner when the government  lets you downgovernment

  • Fighting against REPS 4 closure and the decimation of the REPS scheme
  • Campaigning against recent budget cuts
  • Working to restore Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme
  • Opposing broken promises on forestry
  • Representing your issues at Dept of Taoiseach & Social Partnership level on the nationaleconomic crisis

 

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Disadvantaged Farmers are not disadvantaged in ICSAdisadvantaged

  • Fighting to reverse budget cut on full Disadvantaged Area Payment
  • Looking for fair play for farmers in SACs, NHAs and SPAs- eg. Higher payments and less restrictions in areas such as the Shannon Callows, Destocked areas etc
  • Special payments for hill sheep farmers
  • We know the problems in DA areas because the majority of our members are in DA areas, especially along the West of Ireland

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Big enough to be effective, small enough to carebigenough

  • 10,000 of Ireland’s best cattle • and sheep farmers are in ICSA-that gives us strength and authority to speak on your behalf
  • We are an official Social Partner with full negotiating rights with the government and all Departments on all national agreements and on the issues that affect you
  • We are recognised and respected at EU level and have made a big impact on issues like decoupling and Brazilian beef
  • In ICSA, the views of all members are taken very seriously, whether you are in sheep or in cattle, whether you have 20 acres or 200 acres, whether you are intensive or organic – Everybody counts in ICSA
  • You can play an active role at a high level in ICSA if you are interested enough – new faces on national executive are always welcome
  • Your problem is our problem, whatever the problem
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