The Beef Plan Movement had its first foray north last Thursday night, with a meeting held outside Tassagh in Co Armagh, attended by about 50 to 60 farmers.

The numbers were down on those seen south of the Irish border, but there was still a strong conviction among those present to set up a producer group of beef farmers in the Armagh area.

Beef Plan chair Eamon Corley told the meeting that the first aim for a new Armagh committee should be to form a purchasing group to buy inputs such as fertiliser, feed and dosing products. The next step is to look at selling cattle as a group to whatever outlet gives the best price.

Beyond that, the third aim should be to take more control, by contract-killing members’ cattle and marketing and selling that beef direct to various outlets.

So how quickly can Beef Plan get to that stage?

“We have got three factories in the south willing to kill on a contract basis. I am meeting a guy in a factory tomorrow (last Friday) about contract-killing our cattle.I don’t know how long it will take, but I would be very surprised if Beef Plan isn’t killing cattle within the next six months,” said Corley.

He also maintained that four different people have got in touch with the group to express interest in marketing beef on their behalf.

Potential outlets for that beef could be via farmers’ markets, local butchers or a local retail chain, to exploit consumer preference for supporting local produce.

There is also the option of doing a deal direct with a UK supermarket, or to sell to China to meet rising demand for product there, said Corley.

With farmers in control (and processors not taking a margin), he suggested that the group would be able to offer a fully traceable and consistent product, at lower prices to consumers, while still delivering significantly higher returns to farmers.

But ultimately the aim is to go beyond contract-killing cattle and form a number of co-ops throughout Ireland, each with their own processing facility, and marketing their own beef. It is a model akin to what happens in the Irish dairy sector.

“We have to take control back. The people running factories don’t care about us. I don’t have a future. You don’t have a future, unless we do something,” said Corley.

He also confirmed that Beef Plan now has 15,000 members, with the target to get to 40,000.

He asked everyone present to approach two or three neighbours in their townland who are producing beef, and get them signed up.

“If everyone does that, we will get to 40,000,” he suggested.

When asked whether farm organisations such as the Irish Farmers’ Association were supportive, Corley confirmed that discussions had occurred, but the movement would continue to operate alone.

“A lot of farmers have lost confidence in farm organisations. Basically, we have been forgotten about. We don’t see the Beef Plan Movement as just a lobby organisation,” he said.

In NI, to join the Beef Plan Movement costs £10. In the Republic of Ireland, it is €10.

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