The ICMSA has accused the meat processors of the “systematic destruction” of their farmer supply base and called on the Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon to intervene and halt what the farm body described as “engineered price cuts”.

“Confidence amongst beef farmers is at an all-time low, the bills following on from the spring are mounting, tax bills from last year are looming and the increase in the costs of silage production is causing another headache,” said ICMSA livestock chair Michael O’Connell.

“Family farms cannot continue to absorb rising costs while seeing their income annihilated – it’s just that simple,” he added.

O’Connell said Minister Heydon’s silence on the continuous price cuts was “deafening”, and he claimed the industry needed to come together and discuss the matter in detail.

“It is time for this catastrophe to be addressed and ICMSA is calling for an all-of-industry approach – not just a select few – that will get to the bottom of what is happening and why,” O’Connell said.

“At base prices of €6.20 and €6.30c/kg, cattle are losing a fortune; they are not covering what they cost to buy – much less the increased costs at farm level,” he explained.

“We are at that point now and if Minister Heydon has any interest in maintaining a beef sector worthy of the name – much less developing it – then he’ll need to get much more personally involved than has been the case so far,” O’Connell maintained.