Farmers due to get higher price for beef following two protests

Farmers are due to get a higher price for their beef, following two protests on the issue.

Farmers due to get higher price for beef following two protests

Farmers are due to get a higher price for their beef, following two protests on the issue. The 10c price increase will help shorten the gap of up to 50c between what farmers in Ireland get paid per kg compared with their UK and EU colleagues.

Prices have steadily slipped since 2017, and there are fears among farmers the domestic beef industry is at risk. This is because an increasing number of farmers can’t afford to be beef farmers anymore.

The ABP Food Group said in a statement that it will increase the base price of cattle for deliveries from next Monday.

But in making the announcement, the company - which is one of the country’s largest meat processors - condemned the decision by the Irish Farmers Association to protest.

Today’s protest, led by IFA President Joe Healy, was the second at major distributors. The first was at Aldi's plant in Co Kildare and today’s was held at Lidl’s distribution centre in Ballyhea, just outside Charleville.

That lasted throughout the day from 7am. Farmers are annoyed that more than eight days ago, they demanded an increase in prices in a letter to Meat Industry Ireland and the Department of Agriculture but nothing happened.

Joe Healy said:

We are doing this to get a price increase back to the Irish beef farmer. They have to get it because they cannot continue otherwise.

He declined to comment on the price rise until he had seen it in writing.

Dairy and beef farmer Harold Kingston, chairman of the IFA’s Cork Central branch, said: “I get about €800 per head of cattle at the factory. Two years ago, I could get around €1,000. There is something wrong when you have to sell something at less than what it cost you to produce in the first place.

“Part of the problem is that food is too cheap and is used as a loss leader by the supermarkets to get you in to buy all the other products, like washing powder and shaving blades. The odd thing in all of this is that we know how much farmers make on cattle sales, and we know how much people pay for their meat. What we don’t know is what the meat processors and the retailers are making on the meat. It’s like the Fourth Secret of Fatima.”

For its part, ABP said:

The company is at a complete loss to understand why Joe Healy, the outgoing IFA President, pursued a course of irresponsible, disruptive and illegal action at retail distribution centres this week.

“The Beef Task Force met on Tuesday and Joe Healy and the IFA were fully aware that market indications pointed towards a cattle price increase in Ireland. This was reported extensively.

“Joe Healy is also aware that cattle prices are quoted on a Friday and the timing of this stunt was motivated by competition for membership between traditional and new farm organisations. The price paid by ABP for cattle will always be determined by the prevailing market conditions and those conditions have recently improved.

“ABP can confirm, as was indicated on Tuesday at the Beef Task Force, that it will increase the base price of cattle for deliveries from next Monday.

A Department of Agriculture spokesperson said: "Farmers should be paid the maximum price that the market will allow. Positive engagement through producer organisations and the Beef Market Taskforce is the best way to progress farmers interests."

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