Farmers and meat processors hold talks as protests continue

Representatives from the Irish Cattle and Sheep organisation are meeting those from Meat Industry Ireland as part of ongoing talks about beef prices.

The meeting began at 12pm in Agriculture House on Kildare street and is being chaired by the secretary general of the Department of Agriculture, Michael Dowling.

Meat producers today disputed figures released by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) as farmers continued to protest outside 14 meat factories.

The IFA claims what is paid for a beef animal in Ireland is €350 lower than what is paid for the same animal in Britain.

Meat Industry Ireland (MII) spokesman Joe Ryan responded to the claim saying the figure was based on "one type of animal in one market" (UK steer) which "completely ignores the full basket of animals that Ireland produces and the range of meat cuts we sell across all our European markets".

He also disputed claims the British steer price has increased by the equivalent of 30 cent per kilo in the last five weeks.

Farmers yesterday started a 48-hour blockade of meat factories belonging to the three biggest producers, ABP Food Group, Kepak and Dawn Meats. The three companies control 70 per cent of the meat trade in Ireland.

The picket, organised by the IFA, is in protest at the price discrepancy between prices paid to Irish and British beef farmers which the IFA claims is in the order of €350 per animal.

It is the second such blockade of meat producers in recent weeks as part of an increasingly bitter dispute over prices.

The IFA estimates the price differential has widened in the last few weeks with prices improving in the UK by 30 cent per kilo while they have remained static in Ireland.

That figure is disputed by the MII who maintain that the EBLEX (the English Beef and Lamb Executive Ltd) figures show the average GB steer price to be at similar levels to those of five weeks ago, and have, instead, fallen.

“EU Commission figures show that the Irish cattle price is currently over 101 per cent of the EU average. This is a very strong performance given than Ireland exports 90 per cent of our produce into these markets where the consumer preference is for their local produce.”

Farmers acknowledge there has always been a price gap between what is paid in Britain and what is paid in Ireland for beef animals, usually of the order of €150 because British consumers prefer locally-reared beef, but the differential is now more than twice that. They want the current differential to be closer.