ICSA Beef chair Edmund Graham has said no agreements were reached, nor were any recommendations made at the Food Vision Beef and Sheep meeting held in Backweston last week. “I was present at that meeting, and I can state categorically that nothing has been agreed despite media reports to the contrary today,” he said.

“Prior to the meeting ICSA, as well as others involved in the meeting, were presented with a discussion document – created by the Department of Agriculture – containing a variety of discussion points to be debated at the meeting. Several of these discussion points resulted in heated exchanges as to whether they were practical, affordable, and how markets would be affected. No agreements were reached, and no recommendations were made. Media reports suggesting otherwise are misleading and damaging.”

“The record needs to be corrected; the work of the group is ongoing, and all proposals put forward by the department are set to be debated further. The Food Vision group is scheduled to meet again on Thursday 15 September I am calling on Minister McConalogue to clarify this issue as a matter of urgency.”

ENDS