Although the Brexit deadline has been pushed to October, ICSA president Patrick Kent told the Oireachtas agriculture committee this Tuesday that "for beef producers, Brexit has already effectively happened".

He put losses on prime cattle sales at €4m/week as a result of poor prices and argued that "the beef sector still needs a rescue package from Brussels even in the context of continued uncertainty". Payments should specifically target cattle slaughtered by winter finishers, according to the ICSA.

Export supports

Meat Industry Ireland chair Philip Carroll agreed that the Brexit threat had not gone away and justified state support, but called instead for a payment in favour of factories in case of a no-deal scenario.

"We need a Government guarantee that support mechanisms will be immediately available, delivered efficiently, applied at the point of trade, to eliminate the ensuing market values loss extracted by the imposition of tariffs," Carroll said.

Beef Plan movement chair Eamon Corley called for a €100/head payment in support of live exports. "We need an export subsidy for weanlings in this country," he said.

Movement and residency rules

Corley also prioritised the abolition of rules such as the four-movement limit, the 70-day residency and the 125km to move category one waste.

Carroll replied that these, along with age limits, were a requirement of buyers and not factories.

ICSA’s beef chair Edward Graham stated that as a result of dairy herd expansion, “too much lower-quality animals are in the market”, with cheap cull cow beef being “sold as a premium product at a lower price”, dragging down suckler beef with it.

Dairy calves are only a waste product

Graham also defended his stance that “dairy calves are only a waste product” and that the dairy sector should pay for increased lairage capacity at Cherbourg, following a request to withdraw these comments were made by Fianna Fáil’s Jackie Cahill.

Macra president James Healy was the only speaker whose request for money was directed to factories rather than the Government.

He called for a young farmer bonus to be paid on their cattle as part of Macra's new beef roadmap.

"Beef processors and retailers must wake up and realise that their future business is inextricably linked to providing an economically sustainable future for young beef farmers," Healy said.

Additional reporting by David Wilson.

Read more

Beef ‘cartel’ criticised in Oireachtas

Public submissions sought on future of beef farming

Watch: 'factories are bleeding us dry' say struggling beef farmers