29 SEPTEMBER 2016

ICSA beef chairman Edmond Phelan has cautioned that the new Meat Industry Ireland (MII) beef policy document would be bad news for producers. “Increased production has always resulted in a price drop for farmers”, he said.

“History has shown that if cattle numbers go up price comes down.  Recent weeks have seen a severe fall in beef price, partially blamed on Brexit but clearly also linked to cattle being too plentiful.  We have also seen that the meat industry will pay as little as they can get away with not what the market will return. Demanding that farmers produce more so others can profit just won’t cut it for farmers anymore.

We need to get to a position whereby the relationship processors have with producers is one of partnership. Opportunism, such as processors dropping prices after a night of heavy rain, has no place in such a partnership. While many farmers have the potential to increase production, ICSA would see no point in going that route until farmers are fully confident in being rewarded for their efforts.”

In conclusion, Mr Phelan said “We look forward to working with MII and drawing out how exactly an increase in production such as they suggest would benefit farmers, given that we have seen no benefit in the past from such a policy.”

ENDS