You have to admire the effort of farm lobby organisations in the Republic of Ireland in securing a €100m fund to help compensate beef finishers for losses due to Brexit. The funding case made by the Irish Farmers Association compared beef prices in 2015, before the UK referendum, with prices paid over the period from October 2018 to March 2019. Looking back to 2015, beef prices in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) started the year at a base of 400c/kg, rising to 420c/kg in early spring, 430c/kg in late spring; and falling back to 390c-400c/kg later in the year.

Over the period from 1 October 2018 to 31 March 2019, ROI beef finishers have generally been working from a base of 375c/kg to 385c/kg. When compared with 2015 prices, it is a €101m reduction in income across steers, heifers, young bulls and cows.

If we look at NI prices over the same period, finishers here did see a strong start to prices in 2015, with base quotes for U-3 grades of 366p/kg. But as the year progressed, returns fell and we finished the year at 310p/kg.

Over the winter of 2018/2019, base quotes have been in the region of 336p-356p/kg, so there isn’t the difference with 2015 as seen in ROI. However, it could be argued that the impact of Brexit on NI finishers has really only been seen this past winter, as companies stockpiled beef before EU exit on 29 March 2019. When compared with 2017/2018 prices, farmers are down £10m in returns this past winter.

It works out at over £40/head, at a time when costs are up. The most pain has been felt by those finishing cattle in the second half of winter.

The argument for a Brexit beef package for NI farmers could be made. But with no politicians at Stormont, the unfortunate reality is that there isn’t anyone to put the argument to.

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