BEEF prices paid to farmers by meat plants have fallen by a further 2p a lb to a 10 year low of 78p.
The fall in prices came as the factories began to fill the latest EU intervention contract which is designed to take 13,000 beef animals off the market over the next three weeks.
A Department of Agriculture spokesman said that the tender had been awarded at an average price of 80p and there was no justification for the drop of 2p a lb being offered by the plants.
The farm organisations are seeking the reopening of the live export trade to generate competition.