ICSA beef chair Edmund Graham is calling on factories to increase their beef prices and criticised them for treating farmers with “utter contempt”.

He said that factories are currently seeking cattle and farmers should bargain hard and not accept €3.60/kg.

'Beggars belief'

“It beggars belief why the meat industry here is so hell bent on dragging out any meaningful price increases and treating beef farmers with utter contempt, but that it what they are doing,” Graham said.

“Farmers have been haemorrhaging money and for that to stop we need to see a more rapid rate of price increases and for prices to move above €4/kg in the short term.

“With supplies not as plentiful as factories would have hoped for in January, the scope is there to bargain hard.”