The country’s meat processors have expressed concerns that cold storage availability – both in Ireland and the UK – has reached a “critically-short” level.
In a statement to AgriLand, Cormac Healy, the director of Meat Industry Ireland (MII) said: “Feedback from members is that cold storage availability both in Ireland and in the UK is critically short”.
“One factor has been the higher-than-normal stock levels in the industry at the end of the year due to the elevated EU-wide beef output levels in the second half of last year.
On top of that, storage space has been taken up with Brexit contingency stocks of products from right across the food sector.
Meanwhile, in the latest twist for the UK’s looming departure from the EU, the European Council has decided on a partial extension of Article 50 following a request from UK Prime Minister Theresa May who sought a delay on Brexit departure day from March 29 to June 30.
European Council has announced that it has agreed to an extension until May 22, 2019, provided the withdrawal agreement is approved by the House of Commons next week.
If the withdrawal agreement is not approved by the House of Commons next week, the European Council has agreed to an extension until April 12, 2019, and expects the UK to indicate a way forward before this date for consideration by the European Council.
Any unilateral commitment, statement or other act should be compatible with the letter and the spirit of the withdrawal agreement, the council has said.