Walsh aims to reassure European markets on beef

Action has been planned nationally and internationally to repair any damage caused to the £1 billion beef industry by the blockade…

Action has been planned nationally and internationally to repair any damage caused to the £1 billion beef industry by the blockade of meat factories, which ended yesterday afternoon when AIBP Cahir reached agreement with suppliers.

After a meeting between the Minister for Agriculture and Food and An Bord Bia, Mr Walsh announced he would be visiting a number of European capitals to reassure companies buying Irish beef that normality has resumed.

In a statement following the meeting with Mr Michael Duffy, the chief executive of An Bord Bia, and its chairman, Mr Phillip Lynch, the Minister said immediate action would be taken to address the situation.

He had asked An Bord Bia to devise a strategy to address any damage done by the interruption in supply to important EU customers. Increased penetration of high-value EU markets, as established by the beef task force, was the key to sustaining and increasing incomes for beef-producers in the long term.

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Mr Duffy said that in addition to the European operation, An Bord Bia would be working to re dress the false impression that beef on the domestic market was not of good quality. He said the dispute had caused confusion in the public mind which was linking the grades of animals with their quality. He said carcass classifications were not the same and did not denote eating quality.

"Blind tests" carried out all over Europe on Irish beef of all classifications had shown that its quality was as good as, and in most cases better than, anywhere else.

In a statement last night, the former president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr Tom Parlon, said the determined action of the IFA and farmers had returned dignity and power to livestock producers.

For the first time, he said, farmers would see published prices for every meat plant, and there would be a new era of open and transparent pricing for cattle.

The chairman of the Irish Cattle Traders' and Stockowners' Association, Mr Charlie Reilly, called for a strategic approach to improving the quality of the national herd and the way farmers market their cattle.