Speaking at the Beef Market Taskforce meeting in Dublin last week, IFA president Joe Healy told the main retailers that the unsustainable discounting of top-quality beef was a race to the bottom that has to stop.

He said beef prices cannot continue at current loss-making levels at farm level and must be increased.

Market returns

“Retailers and factories, who work together, must pass back higher market returns with a significant and immediate price rise to farmers.”

Healy said retailers outlined details of their specifications, which in general are a lot less onerous than those applied by the factories.

He said the taskforce has hired international consultants Grant Thornton to undertake a full and independent review of market and customer requirements, specifically in relation to the four in-spec bonus criteria currently in operation. The retailers indicated they will co-operate fully with this exercise.