IFA president Joe Healy has said a strong beef price increase is well justified based on robust demand and improved market and exchange rate returns.

He said the strong price returns in the UK, our main export market, together with positive change in the sterling exchange rate, leave the meat factories in a good position to increase prices to farmers.

The IFA president said that winter finishers need a strong price lift to meet the very high cost of selling cattle out of sheds. At current prices, these farmers are encountering serious losses.

Major push on live exports

Healy has also called on Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to maximise every market opportunity on live exports in 2017. He said there are real opportunities for Ireland in the live export markets such as Turkey, north Africa and continental Europe and all of these must be actively pursued.

The IFA has been working hard on calf exports for next spring and has met a number of the exporters and the Department of Agriculture in recent weeks. Healy said that a strong live export trade for calves is essential for competition and to maintain a supply/demand balance in the Irish beef sector capable at delivering viable prices to farmers.

The IFA has met with the Department of Agriculture on calf sales and exports for 2017 and demanded a reduction in fees charged on calf exports.

Healy said that the charges are far too high relative to the value of the calf and it is unfair that the owner of a calf worth between €80 and €150 per head would have to pay the same level of charge as a finished animal going through a meat plant worth €1,400 per head.

The IFA had worked hard in opening up the live export trade to Turkey last year and this proved critical to the weanling trade throughout last autumn.

The IFA president said it is vital that Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and his Department ensure that a strong live export trade to Turkey and other Middle East and North African destinations continues into 2017.