DEAR SIR:

The race to finish cattle at a younger and younger age is not a natural system of beef production for a country that portrays itself as having one of the most natural production systems in the world.

Animals must be given a chance to grow to their natural bone structure and be finished by putting meat on this structure rather than putting six-month-old calves into industrial-type beef finishing operations where the cattle see no light, feed as much as they can eat and are slaughtered at 16-18 months.

Add to this they get a premium price. Compare this to the animal that is finished in a natural way, is three years old but incurs a price penalty because it is regarded as too old.

This is not a fair system – in fact, the older animal raised outdoors for most if its life should get a premium price rather than be penalised.

If we do not address this issue and reward ordinary beef farmers for producing a natural outdoor product, we will soon have none of these farmers left in the country. It will end up with large industrial beef finishing units – is this the type of beef industry we want from green Ireland?