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The development of a suckler brand beef label has the potential to deliver value-added premium to the producers of naturally reared suckler beef, INHFA president Colm O’Donnell has said.
The farm organisation has called on the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to make funding available for the development of a ‘naturally reared suckler branded product’.
Taskforce integrity
O’Donnell said: "As part of our pre-budget submission, we have asked the Minister to put funding in place so as to honour the commitment given by the newly established Beef Market Taskforce to develop a suckler brand.
“We lobbied hard within the taskforce to get this commitment agreed at the Backweston talks and it must now become a priority for implementation to safeguard the integrity of the agreement.”
The farm leader has called for €4m to be made available to Bord Bia to develop the campaign.
The INHFA has also registered an objection with the taskforce chair highlighting the lack of progress in the development of a suckler brand to date.
Opposition
Earlier this week, the INHFA revealed it has officially lodged an opposition to the current PGI status application for Irish grass-fed beef.
O’Donnell said: “We were left with no choice in the matter because of the lack of consultation and debate on the application.
“Suckler farmers see this grass-fed PGI as a threat to their naturally-reared product and as being driven by processors and the dairy industry."
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