Export Price Gap of 45c/Kg for Beef Unacceptable

IFA Livestock Chair Declan Hanrahan said there is capacity in the marketplace for higher beef prices.

“The Bord Bia Prime Export Benchmark price is 45c/kg above ours and factories must do more to close this gap.”

Declan Hanrahan said Irish farmers are producing beef to the highest standards in the world and must be paid for the work we do.

“Factories and Bord Bia cannot just sit back and allow Quality Assured Irish beef be devalued in our key export markets by weak selling and increased volumes of cheap southern hemisphere beef that have been given access to our markets,” he said.

The IFA Livestock Chair said factories must stand a lot stronger in the marketplace and return higher prices to farmers. Bord Bia need to start justifying the money farmers pay them to promote our beef against these cheap non-Quality Assured imports in the UK and EU markets.

“A gap of 45c/kg with prices in our key markets is not acceptable and must be closed,” he said.