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Over a year after Food Wise 2025 was launched, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has launched its proposals on how the beef element can be delivered.
The Brexit vote in the UK and subsequent weakening of sterling is a key element, with the factories calling on the Government and State agencies to respond aggressively with a €25m marketing and promotion fund plus access to the Employment Subsidy Scheme and the enterprise stabilisation measures which were last applied in 2009-2011.
MII said it is confident its members can handle extra beef coming into the system through dairy herd expansion and believes that recovery in EU consumption along with lower EU consumption will provide an outlet. Additionally, international markets (particularly China when it is opened) have potential to handle large quantities of beef protein.
Need for farmer profitability is recognised, with calls for Government investment to drive efficiency and productivity.
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