The recent Irish Grassland Association beef conference featured a half-hour farmer forum.

Stan Lalor of GrasslandAgro chaired the discussion, with the three high-profile beef farmers – Robin Talbot, a Co Laois suckler farmer; Eddie O’Connell, a Co Offaly beef and sheep farmer; and Thomas O’Connor, a Co Kildare suckler farmer.

Here are some of the top quotes from the panel:

Robin Talbot on Brexit:

"In the past, all of the beef problems, like BSE for example, were solved by science and veterinary advice and it always came right. This time, Brexit has to be solved by politicians and that frightens the life out of me.”

Thomas O’Connor on the future of bull finishing:

“For us it’s a necessity risk I feel. Right now it’s the only system [in which] we can see leaving any cashflow. We used to finish steers but since we started on the bulls we have shaved 20 months off the slaughter period and at the same time we are getting better carcase weight and conformation.”

Eddie O’Connell on beef prices:

“All as I know is we won’t be able to pay €1,000/head for weanlings in the back end this year given the way beef prices are.”

Robin Talbot on how the world perceives Irish beef:

“Being realistic, I think a lot of the world doesn’t know we exist. We also have to be realistic and realise our product isn’t that much better than anyone else’s. However, the traceability and our quality assurance opens the doors.”

It’s easy slagging off the factories – they have to make money

Thomas O’Connor on changes to his farming system:

“We aren’t going to be making any major changes but we are making calculated decisions. I see a big labour issue coming down the road and I’m trying to avail of the substantial grants out there to try and alleviate this issue.

Eddie O’Connell on intensification in Irish agriculture:

“In New Zealand, the perception of dairy farming is extremely poor. The intensification in Ireland right now could bring us down the same route. We need to remember the social aspects of farming.”

Robin Talbot on the beef processors:

“It’s easy slagging off the factories – they have to make money and quite frankly if they didn’t we would be in a worse of a situation than we are now. If I had one wish, it would be a greater level of risk sharing between the farmer and the factory. Some sort of a three- or six-month minimum base price that a farmer could work off.”

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