Concerns of Irish beef farmers over a lack of competition among beef processors were raised by MEPs at a recent EU agricultural committee debate on competition rules.

The meeting discussed the results of an EU report completed at the end of October 2018 into how competition rules were being applied across the agricultural sector.

Mairead McGuinness, MEP and vice-president of the European Parliament, said Irish beef farmers had repeatedly complained about a lack of competition in the marketplace with transparency, or a lack of, a major concern.

Transparency

She said: “There is information available to processors about supply and cattle numbers and this is information farmers believe should not be available to the industry and should not have access to because it gives them extra ammunition when there is price formation going on.”

Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan echoed McGuiness’s comments saying potential cartelisation of the industry was at play, which led to farmers receiving lower prices. He said the issue came up over and over again without any progress being made.

“I get a sense from farmers that they are in a state of despair and feel we are useless and that we cannot really do anything about it.”

Investigation

He said there were numerous claims of feedlots being used to manipulate the price received by Irish farmers and that it was a case of never being able to gather “enough concrete proof”.

A representative from the European Commission for Competition said the Irish beef market had been investigated two or three years ago. He said in the course of the investigation they found no evidence to allow them “come to the conclusion that a cartel existed”.

McGuinness concluded the discussion by asking that another look be taken at the issue of a lack of competition in the Irish beef sector.