13 SEPTEMBER 2016
ICSA beef vice chairman Edmond Phelan today said that heavy bulls over 550kg are being shipped to Turkey next week. According to Mr Phelan, this is now a key focus for Turkey and it will certainly counteract factory efforts to drive down beef price.
“At prices of up to €2.20/kg liveweight, this trade will mean factory prices for bulls are not competitive and farmers should look very carefully at their options in terms of feeding these kind of cattle.”
“While a lot of talk has been about the lighter weanlings, this is potentially a much more beneficial development in terms of getting cattle out of the country and getting some real competition into the beef trade in the immediate future. ICSA welcomes the efforts of live shippers and it proves once again that the only hope for the beef sector in this country is competition between live exports and factories. It also shows that efforts to open beef markets in China, America and elsewhere, although worthwhile in the long term, are not delivering real and instant benefits to farmers. ICSA wants to see more support for the live trade from the Minister because this is the only show in town to deliver badly needed relief to hard pressed cattle farmers.”
In conclusion Mr Phelan said “I’m calling on the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and his Department to make sure this boat is passed immediately to help stop the blatant opportunism by the meat industry to use the recent inclement weather to savagely reduce prices.”
ENDS
