As the price of cattle continues to fall, a farm organisation has threatened to boycott a new beef quality assurance scheme unless compulsory labelling of beef in catering outlets is introduced by the end of the autumn.
Farmers are blaming a surge in beef imports from Brazil for the reduction in the price factories are paying for cattle to below €2.52/kg (90p/lb).
In early 2000 the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) closed down the beef-processing industry for nearly six weeks to achieve a price of 90p/lb, and this has remained a benchmark for the industry.
While the IFA is extremely angry with the factories for using cheaper Brazilian imports to undermine the markets, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) has threatened to boycott the new beef assurance scheme.
Its president, Malcolm Thompson, said unless compulsory and precise labelling of beef was introduced by the end of the autumn in all catering and retail outlets the ICSA would advise farmers to reject the scheme.
"Farmers are rightly frustrated at being pushed into one quality assurance scheme after another when the benefits of this are being undermined by the lack of comprehensive labelling for all meats.
"With the lack of full and comprehensive labelling, imported non-assured beef is free-loading on the efforts of Irish farmers to provide a superior product. It is pointless having the highest standards in the world if the consumer cannot differentiate."
Chairman of the IFA livestock committee John Bryan said the latest price cuts by the factories were avoidable.