A Sligo councillor and farmer is questioning whether the importance of the suckler cow to economic activity in the rural north west of Ireland is fully realised at governemnt and department levels.
Fine Gael Councillor Gerard Mullaney was speaking following a proposal he made at this month’s meeting of Sligo County Council calling on the government to use whatever flexibility was available to ensure that suckler herd numbers are allowed to grow.
His proposal comes at a time when there are moves to reduce the national herd as part of the effort to deal with climate change.
Cllr Mullaney says that right along the western seaboard, the suckler cow is the greatest generator of economic activity after the milking cow.
He insists reducing suckler herds would be a detrimental move for the north west.
* Full interview with Cllr. Gerard Mullaney on Agri Week, just after the 9pm news on Thursday evening.
