At the conclusion of the marathon discussions with the farming organisations, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has said it is pleased that “a wide-ranging agreement has been reached”.

Following over 36 hours of talks, under an independent chair appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, MII has said it “constructively engaged in an effort to address issues put forward by farmer representatives”.

A statement from MII said: “Progress has been made on a significant number of points and we welcome the agreement reached this morning, Wednesday, August 21.”

“It is recognised however that the current very weak beef market and the consequential knock-on impact on producer beef prices remains a major pressure point in the sector.”

Continuing, the statement said: “In the course of these difficult negotiations, MII, on behalf of processor members, has worked to find positive outcomes on many of the issues tabled.”

According to MII, this agreement has delivered progress on the following:
  • Commitment to a review of the QPS grid by end-September under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, Teagasc and Bord Bia aimed at strengthening returns to cattle from the suckler herd;
  • Aligned to that review, an undertaking to broaden the in-spec bonus criteria to increase the number of eligible animals;
  • Provision of a live weighing service in the lairage, where requested;
  • Four months advance notification of any changes to carcass weight limits;
  • Development of a system to provide farmers with carcass images should they request them;
  • Several measures aimed at increasing transparency in the supply chain including an independent study on price composition along the supply chain, additional price reporting and consensus on the need for an independent groceries regulator.

Continuing, the statement said that MII believes the best interests of the entire sector and for overall market returns for Irish beef are best achieved through a continued focus on the production of animals that meet the market specifications of key customers at home and in export markets.

To deviate from producing animals that the marketplace requires would have been a retrograde step for the entire sector.

“As we face the mounting danger of a no-deal Brexit, the reality is that we need to do everything possible to hold our position in the UK market.”

Concluding, MII expressed its gratitude to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, the independent chair, Michael Dowling, and their officials for guiding the talks to a successful conclusion.