IFA Livestock Committee chairman Henry Burns has questioned the widening differential between Irish and UK prices.

“The major shift in the price gap raises very serious questions across a number of areas, including our marketing approach in Britain and the price distribution along the supply chain,” he said.

“The real issue is the longer term deterioration in the ability of Irish beef to compete and attain similar prices to British beef in our main export market,” he added.

Burns said that over a 10-year period from 2003 to 2012, the average price differential, excluding VAT, for an R3 grade steer between Ireland and GB was €80 per head. In 2013, this widened to €178 and to €237 in 2014.