Suckler and beef farmers expressed loud frustration at factories, supermarkets and Department of Agriculture regulations at a Beef Plan Movement meeting in Co Laois. It was the latest in a series of recruitment meetings being organised by the plan’s originators.

One of the founders, Eamon Corley, outlined that the core proposal was that farmers would try to control supply of cattle into the meat plants using the power of social media and instant communication, specifically WhatsApp. They would do so legally, operating as a producer organisation.

But the group is also looking for other suggestions on what it might do.

Among other ideas, it is considering setting up purchasing groups in every county, Corley outlined.

Profit margins

The Co Laois farmers present complained that they are both price-takers and rule-takers. Profit margins have been reduced to zero. The net of rules on movement, identification, age, welfare, animal health and QA merely delivers their cattle on a plate to the factories, they said.

Rules have eliminated farmers’ control of their product and market competition. Speakers blamed the Department of Agriculture, factories and supermarkets for this power grab.

Speaking from the floor, farmers claimed that family suckler and beef farming was in the last chance saloon. They congratulated the Beef Plan group on trying something new – but warned it would be difficult.

One Wexford farmer cautioned the group against trying to do too much – stick to being a producer organisation and running purchasing groups, he said.

A Laois farmer said it would be difficult to get farmers to withhold fit cattle. “I’d hold on but I’ve a job off the farm. I could hold on for a few weeks but other farmers maybe couldn’t. “We’d have to be prepared to lose a few cents,” Eamon Corley said. “There’d have to be some pain.”