Franco-Irish club meets EU chair

The Franco-Irish Sheep Club, a representative body of French and Irish sheepmeat stakeholders, met recently in Irish Country Meats (ICM), Camolin, Co Wexford. The annual meeting, which provides a forum to discuss and explore issues affecting the sheepmeat sector, was also attended by John Bryan, recently appointed chair of the European Commission reflection group.

The reflection group was recently established by European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan and aims to identify and address challenges and opportunities facing the EU sheepmeat sector – presently and into the future. The group is set to meet for the first time in mid-November and, according to ICM, will bring together key players from the public and private sectors, representatives from sheep production, processing and trade, as well as representatives from key producing countries in the EU.

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The EU meat industry representation on this group will be led by managing director of ICM Joe Hyland, as chair of the European Livestock and Meat Association (UECBV) sheepmeat committee. Cormac Healy of Meat Industry Ireland (MII) also has a seat. An MMI spokesperson said an area they have raised for discussion is a strategy to target EU self-sufficiency of lamb.

Shearing record presentation

A presentation night to mark a new Irish lamb shearing record set by shearer Roy Collier will take place on Wednesday 28 October in Camolin, Co Wexford.

Roy set the record on 1 August by shearing 617 lambs in nine hours. The event also raised funds for the charities Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice and the Jack & Jill Foundation. For more, contact Eileen Coffey at eileen coffey1982@gmail.com.