DEAR SIR: I am writing to convey my thoughts after attending the Beef Summit in Ballinasloe. You should be commended for the range of speakers who attended, the interest it generated among farmers and your identification of the issues which need to be addressed.

In light of the urgency, I suggest you hold a review with the same panel of speakers within six months. This would give them the opportunity to update the suckler farmers on their progress.

At State level, if we were chasing foreign direct investment worth €2.9bn/year and 52,000 full-time equivalent jobs to our economy, our leaders would be hailing it as a great opportunity and one we cannot afford to lose. What are we doing to retain this level of indigenous industry, jobs and economic contribution in rural Ireland? While the contribution from some of the speakers was factual and honest (eg Prof Wallace), there were speakers who came across as strong on “spin” and weak on “shared vision”. Not a single slide mentioned the word “sustainable” or the potential for a “branded” suckler beef product. I expected to hear at least a mention of these from Tara McCarthy, Minister Creed or Cormac Healy.

I am a third-generation suckler and sheep farmer. In the last 20 years our town alone has lost the post office, our shop, one bar, 12 suckler farmers and 192 suckler cows. It is clear that the policies of both past and current models are not delivering for the sector. The time has come for suckler farmers to take control of their destiny. I am seeking help from parties interested in developing a farmer-led suckler beef brand that can deliver a fair price to the primary producer for a high-quality, sustainable product.

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