The need for legislation was the resonating message in the ICMSA's reaction to the conclusion of the beef talks earlier this morning.
“Until and unless the factories and retailers believe that someone is going to step in and legislate on margins, then they are going to grab more for themselves and that will be at the continuing expense of the farmer,” said Pat McCormack, ICMSA president.
The conclusion of the beef talks has brought disappointment surrounding the efforts to increase prices, but technical changes have been welcomed to improve the situation for individual farmers.
We accept that tweaking the specs and grades is no substitute for a beef price rise
McCormack said: “The whole purpose of these talks was to improve the income situation of beef farmers. We accept that tweaking the specs and grades is no substitute for a beef price rise, but much of what was wrong with our beef sector and the below-cost prices it delivers to the farmer is actually systemic.
“The low prices to farmers are a function of the hopelessly biased system on which those farmers had to sell into the factories. Anything therefore that bit-by-bit begins the process of reforming that system is beneficial to farmers.”
Next step
“One question that we’ll want answered is why we still don’t have the obvious situation where all cattle coming off a quality-assured farm automatically qualify for the QA bonus?
"That’s so obvious and so long overdue that it will have to be answered sooner rather than later,” McCormack said.
Read more
Factory concessions at beef talks are ‘baby steps’ – ICOS
Price ‘the elephant in the room’ at beef talks, says Healy
Agreement reached in beef talks a step forward, say factories
The need for legislation was the resonating message in the ICMSA's reaction to the conclusion of the beef talks earlier this morning.
“Until and unless the factories and retailers believe that someone is going to step in and legislate on margins, then they are going to grab more for themselves and that will be at the continuing expense of the farmer,” said Pat McCormack, ICMSA president.
The conclusion of the beef talks has brought disappointment surrounding the efforts to increase prices, but technical changes have been welcomed to improve the situation for individual farmers.
We accept that tweaking the specs and grades is no substitute for a beef price rise
McCormack said: “The whole purpose of these talks was to improve the income situation of beef farmers. We accept that tweaking the specs and grades is no substitute for a beef price rise, but much of what was wrong with our beef sector and the below-cost prices it delivers to the farmer is actually systemic.
“The low prices to farmers are a function of the hopelessly biased system on which those farmers had to sell into the factories. Anything therefore that bit-by-bit begins the process of reforming that system is beneficial to farmers.”
Next step
“One question that we’ll want answered is why we still don’t have the obvious situation where all cattle coming off a quality-assured farm automatically qualify for the QA bonus?
"That’s so obvious and so long overdue that it will have to be answered sooner rather than later,” McCormack said.
Read more
Factory concessions at beef talks are ‘baby steps’ – ICOS
Price ‘the elephant in the room’ at beef talks, says Healy
Agreement reached in beef talks a step forward, say factories
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