Farmers and processors to meet Simon Coveney over beef row

Beef farmers and meat industry representatives will meet with Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney this afternoon amid an ongoing row over cattle prices.

A 24-hour protest, the first of its sort in 15 years, by the Irish Farmers Association outside 30 meat factories in the Republic ended yesterday. Farmers argue they get €350 a head less for cattle than farmers in the UK.

The third meeting of the Beef Forum, which was set up earlier this year to address the beef row, will take place at 4.30pm today in Backweston, Maynooth.

The IFA has so far been disappointed with the talks. “Our view going into the last 48 hours is we farmers haven’t seen concrete results from it and that is a disappointment,” said an IFA spokesman.

He said farmers “feel the forum hasn’t delivered” and that it’s now up to Mr Coveney to tackle factories and processors on issues surrounding cattle prices.

He described the recent protests as “very successful” and said the ball is now with the producers and the Minister.

The group representing processors, Meat Industry Ireland, said the protests were misguided and counter-productive.

"Cattle prices are strengthening and the trend from the market is positive, therefore this IFA action is very unnecessary and questionable," said the organisation's chairman Ciaran Fitzgerald.

“While Irish cattle prices have been weaker this year (down 10 to 12 per cent from the record high levels of 2013), prices across the entire EU have been reduced.”