New beef group aiming for 40,000 members to drive ‘united’ agenda

THE Beef Plan Movement has organised a series of meetings to drive membership and detail its plans for the beef industry.

Group spokesman Eamon Corley said the first meeting will take place this Wednesday in Roscommon Mart, and he expects several hundred farmers to attend. Membership has now reached over 3,500 and includes farmers from Northern Ireland, said Mr Corley.

“Our target is to get 40,000 farmers to sign up to the plan,” he said.

“A big part of our plan is to unite farmers and take back control of our beef industry. We see it as a mathematical equation where at the moment we have 80,000 divided farmers selling cattle individually to a very united small group of factories.”

Mr Corley told the Farming Independent that the group also has the backing of the Charolais Society, the Irish Blonde Cattle Society and the ICSA.

The group is planning to organise farmers into producer groups around the country, which can negotiate on farmers’ behalf.

It is also calling for the 12c QA payment to be allowed on cattle sold in marts without any retention period and the four movements rule to be scrapped.

“This will allow finished cattle to be again sold,” said Mr Corley.

“We are also looking for the export regulations to be relaxed, which will allow more cattle to be exported.”

The Beef Plan Movement elected a national livestock committee last week at a meeting attended by 40 county representatives.