10th September, 2012

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association beef chairman, Edmond Phelan, said that beef factories are going to have to confront the reality that winter finishers will need better reassurances on beef price for the New Year if they are to fill sheds.  

Mr. Phelan said, “Escalating ration costs, along with costly and lower quality silage, means that the economics of winter finishing have rarely looked so grim.  The problem is magnified by recent price cuts at a time when all other key EU beef producing countries are seeing prices creep up.  Farmers will need price to come up 50c if there is to be any margin from winter finishing this year.”