IFA Meet Minister Coveney on Beef – Minister to Call in Factory Bosses

Following a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture this week, IFA President Eddie Downey said Minister Coveney will call in the chief executives of the meat factories tomorrow over the difficulties in the beef sector and the unacceptable fall in prices and incomes for bull beef producers.

 

Following a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture this week, IFA President Eddie Downey said Minister Coveney will call in the chief executives of the meat factories tomorrow over the difficulties in the beef sector and the unacceptable fall in prices and incomes for bull beef producers.

 

Eddie Downey said IFA made it clear to Minister Coveney that action must be taken to address the situation and restore stability and confidence in the beef sector. He said the changes to specifications and the bull beef price cuts of €150 to €300 per head had inflicted serious losses at farm level and left some winter finishers with major financial difficulties.

 

Minister Coveney said he understood the seriousness of the situation for the beef sector and that he will take immediate action and call in the meat factory bosses.

 

IFA National Livestock Chairman Henry Burns said what has happened at the factories on specifications and prices since the New Year is totally unacceptable. He said despite the fact that the weekly kill at the factories is only 31,000, farmers cannot get their cattle killed and many are being pushed back week after week into over age and overweight price cuts. He told the Minister the factory price cuts at farm level have seriously eroded confidence.

 

Henry Burns told Minister Coveney there are serious implications for the beef sector and the targets set down in Food Harvest 2020, if the problems in the beef market are not addressed and prices stabilised. He said the suckler herd is under severe pressure and the price cuts and specification limits will compound this situation, despite the positive move by the Government to introduce an €80 cow/calf payment under the new genomic scheme from 2015.