Bad points of the deal for farmers:

  • One less independent buyer of cattle.
  • Blow for single-site medium-sized meat factory businesses.
  • Competition authorities took side of big business instead of farmers, despite opposition of all farm organisations.
  • Competition authorities seem to have greater focus on consumers than supply chain.
  • Irish authorities happy to let issue move to Brussels, even though the farmer supply base was exclusively Irish on beef.

    • Opportunities from the deal:

  • Access to better customer portfolio for Slaney’s beef output.
  • Access to ICM’s lamb expertise for ABP.
  • Using ABP’s strong position in UK market to enhance Irish beef prices to reflect the relative value of Irish beef compared with UK beef.

    • What Irish beef farmers really need:

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  • Farmgate prices comparable with the best in Europe that reflect specialised suckler-based steer beef produced from predominantly grazed grass.
  • Confidence in beef factories that can only come from complete openness and transparency on accounting, throughput and production, in particular carcase trim.
  • A minister who will tackle this
  • Strong competition for cattle, not a factory at every crossroads.
  • Structured and planned procurement that minimises farmgate price volatility.

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    Full coverage: ABP-Slaney deal