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THE HEAD OF the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association has said the second meeting of the beef task force, which saw retailers come to the table for discussions, highlighted “varying and diverging views” around beef quality and sourcing.
ICSA president Edmond Phelan said the major retailers attending the taskforce today gave no indication that the 30-month rule, which aims to keep older beef out of the food chain, is as important a requirement in the Irish market as processors say it is.
“While all the retailers agree the Quality Assurance was of paramount importance, retailers are not as rigid on the issue of 30 months as we had been led to believe,” he said this evening.
“There were also varying and diverging views on other in-spec requirements including the four residency rule and the 60-day residency requirement on the last farm.”
On price, Phelan said a strong case was made to the retailers that current prices paid to beef producers fall way short of what is required.
It has been made crystal clear that beef farmers cannot continue to produce at below the cost of production. To this end, we are pleased that the retailers have agreed to co-operate further with the price composition study.
“The outlook for 2020 means that China must deliver a better price for beef. ICSA are clear that given the current increased demand, unless the Chinese market can deliver results in 2020, it’s doubtful it ever could.”
Following the meeting today, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, who was instrumental in setting up the taskforce, said there has been “substantial progress made” in delivering on the beef sector agreement.
“The work of the taskforce is now well under way with substantial progress made in the delivery of commitments under the beef sector agreement,” he said.
“I am pleased to see Irish retailers engaging constructively with the work of the taskforce, as it is imperative that mutually beneficial relationships across the supply chain are maintained and developed to secure the future of Irish beef.”
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Minister greed who was instrumental in setting up the task force, good christ paper doesn’t refuse ink does it? the journal brought to you by Fine Gael
Any other business that was losing money for 50 years would have folded 50 years ago. Pay these farmers the proper prices they deserve, consumers will pay extra for quality, slash the national heard from 8 million to 4 million. And adapt and diversify your business same as everybody else. All over the world restaurants proudly advertise that they use Irish beef, but our beef farmers are living like beggers
@The Equalizer: hate to break it to you but unfortunately the majority won’t pay extra for quality, that’s why lidl and aldi thrive
They can talk all they want it’s the prices for beef that matter to farmers.
Someone’s making serious profit from the 90 % of Irish beef that’s exported and it seems there not going to give it up lightly…………
@David cotter: well said David
Sadly it’s all under the thumb of one unscrupulous individual who controls many other things as well!!
Go vegan
@Costello Trevor: no thank you
Irish land is grossely underused because of:
-small farms lying fallow & pickled with rushes and docks with silly ditches & poor drainage
-EU subsities discouraging production
-An Coilte hogging arable land.
Ireland could increase its GDP by at least 2% by proper ag practices, IMO.
The family 30 acre farm should be abolished and integrated into holdings of
at least 200 acres so that they are economically viable.
@Moorooka Mick: and shift biodiversity to other countries? It can’t all be drive on and burn all the ditches. Farms should also be looked at to provide ecosystem services, clean water and air.
@Moorooka Mick: Stalin had that idea in his 5 year plans “collectivization of Soviet agriculture”.
@Moorooka Mick: your not far wrong…. 30acre farmers with full time jobs are a lot of the problem. If the farm loses money…. as it is…. it’s subsidized by their off farm income…. the larger farmers are actually the ones that are suffering. There’s 20 of those 30 acre farmers to the 1 larger farmer. I’m a farmer farming 250 acres and to say I’m on my knees praying for a price rise isn’t an understatement. I lost 40k last year. Previous years I was better off if I’d been on the dole. Another year like last and I’ll be selling something to keep afloat. Things need to change and fast
@Monty Donotno: Most farmers provide clean water for ther Animals and there households at there own EXPENSE and not like the people in the Towns and Cities who get it for nothing and when asked to pay Rebelled THE FARMERS ARE RIGHT TO REBEL FOR A FAIR PRICE FOR THER BEEF
@Moorooka Mick:
A part-time cattle farmer with 30 ac has best of bt worlds; S/where to potter about in own piece of heaven at w/ends, whilst at the same time generating off-farm Income. His house comes cheap, given usual setup within most farming families.
To grow his farm holding to a viable 200 acres and go full-time is imposs in
@pat seery: The people in the towns and cities will be paying handsomely to supply your broadband out in the sticks, will you be complaining about that. The farmers will
Vote in their droves for a return of FFG and then complain when they do nothing for ye.
@Sean Mc Cabe: what good is having rural Ireland run by fat individual farmers w a couple of eastern Europeans who care nothing about the land. Burn the plastic out the back when it now costs f all to recycle it. Having families who love the land is critical for rural Ireland and future response to climate change. Austrian countryside has lots of small farmers and nature, quality of air and water generates huge tourism. Industrial farming will turn countryside into inaccessible estates. It’s direction it’s already going.
@Sean Mc Cabe: The problem is Sean, that the processors and the retailers still think that you and every other producer can still keep supplying them at nineteen eighties prices, and you’re so committed with the huge investments that you have been forced to make, that you nearly can’t get out!
Are any of these remaining questions – What’s your Beef?
Go vegan for the animals ..
@Costello Trevor: And eat all the animal’s food other than grass?
Go vegan
@Costello Trevor: go corporate, its the FG fF way
Our meat is going to be mass produced in labs in the next decade or so anyway, and the hreat thing is, no animals will be slaughtered, should put an end to all this nonsense. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lab-grown-meat/
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