The ICSA president Edmond Phelan has said that problems remain with the PGI application being put forward by Bord Bia.

Speaking after the beef taskforce held on Thursday 24 September, he said that the application is “too diluted” in its current format and that the organization want to see a coherent plan to develop suckler beef as a premium product.

In particular, he said that the organization had serious misgivings about the proposal for the PGI to cover almost all dairy-derived steers and heifers.

“Bord Bia made the comparison with Michelin Star restaurants, but missed the obvious point that only a few very elite restaurants can get that accolade. ICSA wants to see a coherent plan to develop suckler beef as a premium product,” Phelan said.

The ICSA is the most recent group to raise their concerns about the application, with each farm organization championing the focus of their own members.

Phelan also said that they were not happy with the proposed governance structure for the PGI, adding that it should be majority farmer controlled.

“We are deeply unhappy with the proposal to have a monitoring group with only two farmer representatives. Instead, we want to see a controlling board which would have majority farmer representation,” he said.

He also expressed his frustration over the Grant Thornton report on price composition and competition law in relation.