DEAR SIR: I think it is good that the powers that be have agreed to have talks with the farm organisations and meat factories. Hopefully a suitable agreement can be achieved where beef farmers can get a good price.

I also noticed when the meat factories thought they were at risk of losing their retailer beef contracts, they were very quick to attempt to go down the legal route against farmers.

It is a pity the meat factories don’t have more respect for the farmers and talk to them rather than be using heavy-handed tactics. The meat factories’ legal threat shows what the farmers are up against.

Also, I see that the Competition Authority has got involved.

The meat factories and Competition Authority do not seem to realise that beef farmers need a sustainable income from farming.

That seems to be the main point that is not being mentioned.

The retailers should be involved as well in trying to provide a road map for the future for beef production. We need farmers, meat factories and retailers to work together to get the beef industry into shape so that everyone can earn an income.

Between the farm organisations, meat factories and retailers surely someone can develop a workable solution to the beef income question.

At the moment with the uncertainty around beef, it is seen as a target for people promoting climate change.

I know dairy is different where you have the milk co-ops and dairy farmers working together.

On another note, milk co-ops don’t have large dairy herds to produce milk and yet the meat factories feel the need to have large feedlots.

It will be interesting to see can the beef income question of achieving a sustainable and good income be answered.