A Bord Bia flagship scheme which aims to highlight the “sustainability” of Irish beef and lamb has been slammed by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) for “delivering absolutely nothing”.
The ICSA is now questioning the rationale for the Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) which was developed by Bord Bia.
The key aim according to Bord Bia of the SBLAS is to “demonstrate to customers that quality beef and lamb are produced sustainably under an accredited scheme”.
But ICSA beef chair Edmund Graham claims that because Irish beef prices have fallen behind local beef prices in export countries this shows that SBLAS is “a complete failure in delivering any price benefit to farmers.”
“The Bord Bia beef price tracker is exposing just how bad prices are for farmers even though farmers have put so much effort into quality assurance.
“At the end of October, the composite Irish price (which covers all categories and grades) shows Irish beef price is 50c/kg behind the equivalent price across all our main export markets. Last year, prices were pretty much in alignment, but this year is a totally different story,” Graham said.
Irish beef prices
The ICSA has also pointed to figures which it claims shows that over the year to date, the Irish beef price is below both UK and EU markets for R3 steers (average Irish €4.77/kg; average EU €4.93/kg).
Graham said the the latest R3 heifer prices show most of the EU markets are sitting at around €5/kg while Irish prices “are stuck at €4.56c/kg”.
According to the ICSA beef chair the quality assurance scheme simply does not add up.
“Farmers will be astonished to hear that even Polish beef prices have powered ahead of our price. In Poland R3 heifers are now fetching €4.91/kg. This is an abject failure and Irish farmers need answers from Bord Bia and from factories.”
In his opinion the quality assurance scheme and what he describes as the associated bureaucracy associated with it, is “delivering nothing when the figures are so stark”.
According to Bord Bia the SBLAS was developed “in response to the demands of the marketplace” because there was an “increasing demand” from purchasers of Irish meat products for proof that the meat is produced sustainably on farms.
But Graham said the bottom line for Irish farmers is why should they continue to work with the scheme when “even Polish beef farmers are getting a better price even though the economy of Poland is on a different level to us.”
The ICSA is now seeking an urgent meeting with Bord Bia to highlight its concerns to the Irish food board.
Graham said one of the issues it is seeking to discuss with Bord Bia is why the quality assurance scheme is “not delivering premium prices”.
“Farmers will need prices north of €7/kg to feed cattle this winter, but at the moment we are not anywhere near €5/kg even though almost every important market we are selling to is delivering this to their own farmers.”