"Progress has been made on a significant number of points and we welcome the agreement reached this morning,” Meat Industry Ireland (MII) said after the beef sector talks concluded in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
As Paul Mooney reports, they ended with agreement on changes in payments for 200,000 cattle.
Over 36 hours of talks, under an independent chair appointed by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, MII constructively engaged in an effort to address issues put forward by farmer representatives, it said.
Regarding the contentious issue of prices for farmers, MII said: “It is recognised, however, that the current very weak beef market and the consequential knock-on impact on producer beef prices remains a major pressure point in the sector.”
Progress
MII said that agreement had delivered progress on the following issues:
Commitment to a review of the QPS grid by the end of September under the auspices of DAFM, Teagasc and Bord Bia aimed at strengthening returns to cattle from the suckler herd.Aligned to that review, an undertaking to broaden the in-spec bonus criteria to increase the number of eligible animals;.Provision of a live weighing service in the lairage, where requested.Four months' advance notification of any changes to carcase weight limits.Development of a system to provide farmers with carcase images should they request them.Several measures aimed at increasing transparency in the supply chain, including an independent study on price composition along the supply chain, additional price reporting and consensus on the need for an independent groceries regulator.Defended
The MII statement defended factories' resistance in the talks to easing cattle age limits and movement limits.
“MII believes that the best interests of the entire sector and for overall market returns for Irish beef are best achieved through a continued focus on the production of animals that meet the market specifications of key customers at home and in export markets.
“To deviate from producing animals that the marketplace requires would have been a retrograde step for the entire sector. As we face the mounting danger of a no-deal Brexit, the reality is that we need to do everything possible to hold our position in the UK market.”
The factories' representative body thanked Minister Creed, independent chair Michael Dowling and their officials for guiding the talks.
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Beef talks end with payment changes for 200,000 cattle
"Progress has been made on a significant number of points and we welcome the agreement reached this morning,” Meat Industry Ireland (MII) said after the beef sector talks concluded in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
As Paul Mooney reports, they ended with agreement on changes in payments for 200,000 cattle.
Over 36 hours of talks, under an independent chair appointed by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, MII constructively engaged in an effort to address issues put forward by farmer representatives, it said.
Regarding the contentious issue of prices for farmers, MII said: “It is recognised, however, that the current very weak beef market and the consequential knock-on impact on producer beef prices remains a major pressure point in the sector.”
Progress
MII said that agreement had delivered progress on the following issues:
Commitment to a review of the QPS grid by the end of September under the auspices of DAFM, Teagasc and Bord Bia aimed at strengthening returns to cattle from the suckler herd.Aligned to that review, an undertaking to broaden the in-spec bonus criteria to increase the number of eligible animals;.Provision of a live weighing service in the lairage, where requested.Four months' advance notification of any changes to carcase weight limits.Development of a system to provide farmers with carcase images should they request them.Several measures aimed at increasing transparency in the supply chain, including an independent study on price composition along the supply chain, additional price reporting and consensus on the need for an independent groceries regulator.Defended
The MII statement defended factories' resistance in the talks to easing cattle age limits and movement limits.
“MII believes that the best interests of the entire sector and for overall market returns for Irish beef are best achieved through a continued focus on the production of animals that meet the market specifications of key customers at home and in export markets.
“To deviate from producing animals that the marketplace requires would have been a retrograde step for the entire sector. As we face the mounting danger of a no-deal Brexit, the reality is that we need to do everything possible to hold our position in the UK market.”
The factories' representative body thanked Minister Creed, independent chair Michael Dowling and their officials for guiding the talks.
Read more
Beef talks end with payment changes for 200,000 cattle
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