‘Urgent action needed to protect the future of the Irish beef sector’

AGRICULTURE is clearly the biggest indigenous industry on the island of Ireland. Given the various incomes streams it generates, it is vital that we protect the sector.

It was determined action by beef farmers over a number of weeks which forced meat factories to the negotiating table.

While I welcome the deal struck recently between farm organisations and processors, it is now important that Meat Industry Ireland and the Minister for Agriculture ensure that all agreed actions are implemented promptly.

There was been a clear lack of interest and urgency by government to stand up for farmers as the crisis deepened. As a suckler farmer, if we are to be serious about ensuring we have a profitable beef industry, we have to take radical steps.

The new Beef Taskforce must have real teeth and not follow the failed Beef Forum set up by Minister Coveney in 2014. It must carry out a thorough analysis of the beef sector and the margin returned to the primary producer, the retailer and processor.

In particular, the Beef Taskforce being set up must take a clinical look at processors. An industrial engineer should look at the factories, including their costs, outputs and work processes.

Financial accountants should also advise the taskforce on the factories’ assets, depreciation and overheads.

We all know factories have to run a profit but, as we go forward, we and the farming community need to clearly understand what margin the factories are achieving.

An income crisis for beef farmers demands that a number of actions to be carried out as pinpointed in my party’s recent Dáil motion. While some of these actions were included in the deal brokered, there are still a number of policy areas that my party will advocate for.

These include requesting CAP market disturbance aid for price losses suffered since May; working towards the introduction of a €200 suckler cow payment in the next CAP and implementing the EU new Directive on Unfair Trading Practices in Ireland, which should be enforced by an independent National Food Ombudsman.

Considering the worldwide recognition and success of Kerrygold with consumers, we must look at creating a similar type premium brand for Irish grass fed beef.

It is vital to market Irish grass fed beef as a premium product in order to increase the return to the primary producer and deepen our market share overseas.

The government needs to take swift action to safeguard the beef sector given the massive footprint in rural Ireland and the immediate threats to farmers such as a hard Brexit.

I will continue to campaign on all these issues, hold the government to account and stand up for beef farmers.