Dawn Meats is hopeful it will be able to maintain a “reasonably good” beef price into the backend of the year, its group development manager Paul Nolan, has told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Nolan said Dawn has been able to maintain such prices “for quite some time” but warned “there are no guarantees”. He said Dawn is “delighted that things have worked out well” this year and that higher prices are a “testimony to the market”.

“We had the perfect storm where Australia had droughts, Argentina wasn’t allowed to export, Brazil was going to China and the demand through COVID-19 was fantastic.”

However, Nolan said beef markets are now in a “different situation” due to the Ukraine war and “galloping inflation” and that Dawn’s “biggest concern” is the “public’s ability to pay the higher prices”.

Restaurants

The Dawn development manager said he “would be concerned” that some Irish restaurants have recently taken beef off menus due to its price.

“They’re making the decision for the public that it’s too dear. What that really means is that there isn’t a sufficient margin for them as they see it.

“They’re looking at the lower cost cuts where they can be more economical. That is one of the major problems and threats we face in terms of maintaining beef price.”

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Dawn ‘hopeful’ to maintain ‘reasonably good’ beef price

Group development manager Paul Nolan says inflation is impacting consumers’ ability to pay higher prices for Irish beef but remains optimistic about markets.