By Claire Mc Cormack and Niall Claffey
2019 will be remembered as a tumultuous, divisive and watershed period for the Irish beef industry.
It has had it all: price lows; a national protest campaign that brought the sector to its knees; farmer arrests; threats of jail; meat plant job losses; inspections; injunctions; strikes; BEEP; BEAM; Beef Plan Movement; three rounds of talks; and a funeral – all under the dark clouds of a looming Brexit.
Below is AgriLand’s ‘Irish Beef Industry Review 2019’ in full – it chronicles the long-and-winding road that the beef industry has journeyed over the last 12 months.
January
It started on a high – a kill high, that is.
Almost 1.8 million cattle were slaughtered at department-approved meat exporting plants in 2018 – up more than 51,000 head on 2017 levels – the highest kill in almost two decades.
But another, more unfortunate, milestone was also reached.
The number of calves registered to beef dams (suckler cows) dropped to a 10-year low.
Data, taken from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), found that 880,000 calves were registered on suckler farms – considered a critical component and asset of the country’s rural economy – throughout 2018, a dramatic decline of 43,000 head on the previous year.
It was the first time in a long, long time that the total number of registrations dipped below 900,000 head.
While factory-gate prices resumed relatively unchanged from the pre-Christmas period, farmers with factory-fit bulls faced slaughter-date delays as the month of January progressed – leading to a backlog of bulls in the system.
As such, heavier bulls struggled in the marts. The overall trade was described as “sluggish” – with a lethargic mood shadowing over farmers ringside too.
Mid-month, Turkey – a major importer of Irish cattle in recent years – suspended live cattle imports to stabilise its own domestic beef prices and supplies.
It was unwelcomed news for the industry, which was also suddenly faced with a damning global “scientific” report that condemned human consumption of red meat – the EAT Lancet report. It sparked outrage among farming communities, with farm organisations deeming it “fake news”.
Meanwhile, murmurings of beef sector supports and reviews bubbled to the surface.
As the weeks progressed, marts geared up for a large influx of dairy-origin calves in the spring trade. While initial numbers remained low, prices for Friesian bull calves opened at €60-80/head below 2017 levels.
As January drew to a close, the much-anticipated Dairy Beef Index (DBI) – developed by ICBF and Teagasc – was rolled out.
The index is a breeding goal for Irish dairy and beef farmers to promote high-quality beef cattle bred from the dairy herd that are more saleable as calves and profitable at slaughter.
A quiet start…
February
Sailing to Cherbourg aboard the W.B. Yeats moved a step closer as the month of February arrived.
Early on, department officials inspected the Irish Ferries’ new vessel. Its mission (once authorised) would be to increase shipping capacity for Irish calves off the island and onto European destinations via specialised livestock-carrying trucks.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, found himself in hot water in Leinster House after confirming that eight instances of beef grading machine inaccuracies had been recorded on abattoir floors in 2018 – 13 such incidents had been documented during the previous year.
This revelation compounded farmer concern over the goings on behind closed factory doors.
New kid on the block – Beef Plan Movement (BPM) – asserted itself on the farm lobby group circuit by securing its first official meeting with the department. Its aim: To feed into the TB Stakeholder Forum.
As for the factory lairages, the bull backlog continued. Finishers were now on the receiving end of overweight, overage and fat score penalties, adding further to farmer frustration.
Mid month, there was another blow. Minister Creed stated in writing that the much-questioned four-movement rule was actually a private agreement that had been reached between Meat Industry Ireland (MII) and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) some years ago.
The news sparked a farmer backlash with repeated calls for the rule to be abolished.
As BPM’s plea to contribute to the TB forum fell on deaf ears, the movement – which claimed to have a membership of 17,000 at the time – responded by staging its first official protest outside the building where the forum’s February meeting was being held.
After a period of relatively high beef kills and processing delays, supplies began to tighten in the latter days of the month – with negotiations between factories and farmers becoming a little easier.
Adding to this, the mart trade began to show signs of gradual improvements – this was mainly driven by higher demand for ‘grass cattle’ as favourable grazing conditions prevailed.
March
It was a ‘rocky’ start to the month of March.
Stormy seas prevented two ferries – scheduled to carry dairy calves to export markets – from departing Dublin Port and Rosslare Harbour.
The consignments were bound for Cherbourg Port in France – from there, they would go on to their final destinations across the continent.
Meanwhile, Minister Michael Creed was on a mission to reignite the country’s trading relationship with Turkey by announcing Government plans to travel to its eastern European shores.
Back home, Creed finally sat down with the co-founders of Beef Plan Movement (BPM) at a meeting in Agriculture House.
As the March 29 Brexit deadline drew near, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pledged to protect the Irish beef industry and safeguard beef farmers’ jobs and incomes after the UK’s looming departure from the EU.
The Government remained hopeful that a withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU would trump fears of a no-deal scenario.
Troubled waters continued to scupper calf exports as Storm Gareth made landfall mid-month. The situation led to increased pressure on exporters and a downturn in prices for calves suitable for export.
‘Backlogs’ became a buzzword.
After weathering Gareth’s storm, French authorities approved a highly-sought-after proposal to expand the holding capacity at one of the lairages at Cherbourg – the move gave a green light for an additional 400 animals.
In a significant Brexit twist, government papers from across the channel revealed supposed UK plans to implement substantial temporary tariff rates on Irish beef if its upcoming EU divorce proved disorderly.
This was soon overshadowed by an EU-approved delay to the Brexit deadline – pushing ‘d-day’ from March 29 to April 12.
After a choppy start, better news on the calf export front emerged as the first consignments of calves departed on the new W.B. Yeats.
Subsequently, calf exports moved up a gear, driven by the chief importers of Irish dairy calves the Netherlands and Spain. There was also a notable 20,000t beef export increase – mainly driven by the EU demand.
Meanwhile, following on from February’s grading machine revelation, the department moved to examine new technology for grading beef on the kill floor.
Downward pressure was applied by some processors as they knocked 5c/kg from base quotes.
The situation was compounded by the varying weather conditions experienced throughout the month and the aforementioned shipment problems. As a result, calf prices struggled.
April
It began with the opening of a new ‘club’.
Not a book club, nor a fight club, not a sports club, nor a vintage club – but rather, the Twenty20 Beef Club.
In a nutshell, the venture – established by Glanbia Ireland and Kepak – involves the rearing and finishing of calves originating from the dairy herd, under a guaranteed-pricing model in a Kepak slaughtering facility, and with all inputs to be supplied by Glanbia.
Its goal: To provide some price certainty and economic sustainability to farmers – however, its arrival was not without its critics.
More pearls of the east also emerged, as Ukraine announced its acceptance of Irish beef and pork imports.
Back on home turf, the outlook for the Irish beef sector – under the auspices of Food Wise 2025 – was heavily scrutinised by the country’s farm organisations and environmentalist groups during a key Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine meeting in the corridors of power.
Sticking with the theme of dairy-beef production, the second phase of the Teagasc Green Acres Dairy Calf to Beef Programme was officially launched in Tullamore.
The grading machine inaccuracies issue was back under the spotlight yet again; as Minister Michael Creed and independent TD Denis Naughten penned their positions in letters back and forth on the issue.
Eventually it was found that, in accordance with department inspection results, beef grading machine accuracy for grading fat cover stood at 94.8%; and 91.8% accuracy for conformation last year.
This issue only scratched the surface, however.
Sparks flew at a Laois Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) crisis meeting on beef and livestock, where more than 350 farmers aired their grievances on poor factory returns, the Brexit stalemate and proposed cuts to the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget.
In a heated exchange to Meat Industry Ireland (MII), Bord Bia and Minister Creed, Mountmellick-based beef finisher Henry Burns gave the top table a piece of his mind warning that some bull producers were losing up to €500/head compared to 2018 prices.
“I have the cattle that factories want – but it’s like a begging game,” he said to rapturous applause around the room.
“The minister better get his act together before it’s too late,” it was said.
Yet, the ups and downs continued…
Liffey Meats became the seventh Irish beef processor to get approval to export to China, joining another elite club comprised of: ABP Clones; Donegal Meat Processors (Foyle Meats); Slaney Foods International; ABP Nenagh; Kepak Clonee; and Dawn Meats Charleville.
(12 more applications from Irish beef processors waited in the wings.)
At this stage in the year, beef exports to the Chinese market amounted to 1,462t, with approximately 50% (743.5t) of this exported in April alone.
Amended certificates for the export of breeding, fattening and slaughter cattle to Egypt was approved by the department; while Bord Bia submitted an application to the European Commission to vie for a significant bursary to specifically promote Irish suckler beef in Europe.
Meanwhile, improved weather buttressed the trade ringside; calf prices increased as numbers tapered off and more traditional breeds came on stream.
May
It started with an Aberdeen Angus bull roaming the streets of Cork’s city centre.
He was a rebel with a cause.
Under the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) banner, more than 1,000 beef farmers and a dozen tractors gathered that day outside city hall – amidst a strong Garda presence – to disrupt a cabinet meeting headed up by Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.
Their message: “The time for talking is over – the beef sector is on its knees.”
Meanwhile, security at Cherbourg Port was also beefed up as a man was arrested on suspicion of cruelty to calves following the emergence of a disturbing video online. The footage was subsequently widely condemned by the department and farm organisations here in Ireland.
Days later Beef Plan Movement (BPM) staged a mock beef sector funeral at a meeting in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.
Almost 1,000 people attended the protest where they marched behind a coffin set up to represent the “imminent death of the suckler and beef industry”.
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities confirmed intentions to visit Irish beef plants in August, in a bid to inspect and approve more processors to export to the country.
On the live exports front, more bulls were shipped to Libya – bringing the total year-to-date figure to just over 4,200 head.
Additionally, calf exports started to wind down, with the Netherlands taking the lion’s share.
Big news also emerged from Brussels where a fund of €100 million was secured – backed by the commission and the Irish Government – to specifically support struggling beef farmers, who were also continuing to grapple with Brexit insecurity.
But the Beef Exceptional Aid Scheme (BEAM) came with a significant catch – each eligible participant had to reduce organic nitrogen per herd by 5%.
Throughout the month of May beef prices gathered some much-needed upwards momentum.
Some more good news emerged on the beef export front as the 30-month age restriction was removed for beef exports to Japan.
Finally, similar to the beef trade, mart managers reported an increase in farmer buyers around the ringside. Weanling prices were relatively strong with a good demand for forward cows.
June
Shooting for stars is one thing; catching stars is a different matter entirely.
The current Beef Data Genomics Programme (BDGP) has been marred by suckler farmer and farm organisation criticism over its farm-gate delivery for months, if not years, and so, as the final year of the scheme approaches, Minister Michael Creed finally committed to a review of the programme.
On the weather front, farmers anxiously waited for windows between downpours to get their silage making duties underway.
Conditions didn’t rain on Minister Creed’s Japanese campaign, however, when he travelled to Japan and Korea to build on opportunities and market access for Irish beef exports. Beef exports to Japan amounted to 90t in June.
Staying with the climate, the Government published its 180-point Climate Action Plan aimed at “giving Irish people a cleaner, safer and more sustainable future…as the time for action is rapidly reducing”.
Much to the dismay of the country’s leading farm lobbies, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) confirmed to a Dáil committee that, in its view, a cartel is not operating within the meat processing sector in Ireland.
Meanwhile, a Europe-wide heatwave put a temporary halt on live exports to the continent.
Then June 28 happened…
After 20 years of negotiations, it was announced that political agreement had been reached on the EU-Mercosur Trade Deal – a move that would see an extra 99,000t of beef from South America being imported onto European supermarket shelves.
The person: Phil Hogan (then EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development).
The word: Fury.
While Hogan – who was central to the talks – insisted that the agreement is “fair and balanced” and “with opportunities and benefits” on both sides, the gloss quickly faded and beef farmers launched a scathing attack on the potential accord.
“A betrayal”, “hypocrisy”, “a sell-out”, they said.
They cited: Perceived contradictions between the EU’s climate policy and the record of some South American countries on deforestation; cheap food agendas; and Brexit.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) gathered its troops for a protest outside the commission’s offices in Dublin – a commission that “lectures us on climate change”, said Joe Healy.
Throughout June, beef price tumbled 15c/kg from prime cattle quotes – it sparked outrage, also affecting the short-keep cattle trade due to price cuts.
The year was now half over; but the war had just begun…
July
Oh my, my, my, my, July…
Just days after the EU-Mercosur bombshell, beef price hit another low – down 5c/kg.
All eyes, and boots, turned to Leinster House – this time under a new banner, Beef Plan Movement (BPM).
Thousands of farmers and rural dwellers descended on Kildare Street in a mass rally opposing the so-called “attack” on Ireland’s family-farm model – as outrage over the draft EU-Mercosur trade deal also loomed large.
The protesters piled hundreds of wellington boots at the gates of Dáil Eireann in a symbol of solidarity.
Their message: “No longer needed.”
The attack strengthened…
The antagonist: The Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC).
A damning CCAC report recommended that Ireland should reduce its bovine numbers – specifically its suckler cow herd – as part of the country’s duty to tackle carbon emissions.
BPM was on the move again. A protest was organised outside the Aurivo Dairy Ingredients plant in Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon – where Minister Creed was due to open a new dryer facility.
However, before he arrived he was met with a whirlwind of fired-up and fed-up farmers – just a flavour of things to come…
At 6:00am on Monday, July 29, the horse bolted.
BPM – with a then claimed membership of around 20,000 farmers – officially began its nationwide protest campaign at factory gates.
It started at: Kepak Kilbeggan; Kepak Athleague; Liffey Meats Ballinasloe; ABP Bandon; Dawn Meats Ballyhaunis; and Dawn Meats Rathdowney.
They came in their hundreds; they walked in circles; they expanded like the Irish dairy herd…
Beef price falls amidst protests.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) also flexed its muscles. The farm lobby group held a protest outside the EU Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) in Grange, Co. Meath, calling for Mercosur-sourced “substandard beef imports” to be halted.
And the hits kept coming…
Throughout the month of July, farmer fears intensified as prices crumbled ahead of fast-approaching autumn weanling sales.
August
Don’t mention the war…or price…
As the 24-hour protests stretched across the country, Beef Plan Movement (BPM) – armed with a list of demands – urged all farmers to follow its specific guidelines during demonstrations.
Local communities rowed in behind the cause, delivering trays of sandwiches and flasks of tea to boost morale.
But frustrations boiled over at some pickets, where the movement’s code was breached. Things got a little tricky; incidents occurred; the Gardaí intervened.
The tremors at the front-gates were felt in the quieter lairages.
To Minister Creed’s dismay, his invitation to enter into official dialogue with the movement – on the caveat that protests would be temporarily suspended – fell on deaf ears.
Factory workers were in the firing line – 150 workers were temporarily dismissed at Dawn Meats, in Grannagh, Co. Kilkenny.
In an extraordinary show of power, the factories laid down the law – the letter of the law that is…
The movement was issued with solicitors’ letters from five factories, namely: Dawn Meats; Kepak; Liffey Meats; ABP; and Slaney Meats.
With no side backing down, Creed continued to bang at the door.
A proposal aimed at breaking the ongoing deadlock between BPM and Meat Industry Ireland (MII) was tabled.
The movement’s leaders agreed to stand down the gates, so that talks could commence.
Some ‘rogue’ protests continued though – a move that irked factory bosses.
As far as farmers were concerned, the first round of the ‘beef talks’ concluded without any meaningful or definitive results following 12 hours of deliberations between all stakeholders: MII; farm lobbies; the department; Teagasc; and Bord Bia.
Beef price was not discussed.
They would meet again, soon.
The silence was deafening in the lairages as the weekly kill plummeted – one week in particular was down almost 50% on the previous seven days.
The talks resumed.
Key points to be addressed included: the 30-month rule; the 70-day residency rule; and the four-movement rule.
However, a new wave of protests – independent of any banner – emerged.
ABP Ferrybank, Co. Waterford, took the first hit; but more quickly followed.
In the midst of the melee, Chinese officials came to town, as planned, to inspect meat plants – tonnage of beef exports to China amounted to just over 1,000t in August.
With warnings that plant disruptions during the visit could result in an “own goal” for protesters, all gates agreed to take a momentary time-out.
From high hopes to the High Court, injunctions restraining some more ‘exercised’ protesters were added to the mix – as the industry feared the loss of major contracts and reputational damage internationally.
Although farmers were aware of the industry risk, their livelihoods also remained on the line; and so, some continued to stand.
12 processor operations came to a halt.
While mayhem dominated the factory side of the beef house, a slight glimmer of optimism emerged at special weanling sales across the country.
In ways, another battle kicked off at the ringside as individual livestock exporters wrestled to secure bulls for various international contracts.
The situation resulted in better-than-expected prices for bulls – allowing some suckler farmers to breath a momentary sigh of relief.
But in the main, frustrations lingered…
September
Tempers flared at Liffey Meats in Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan, as short-lived protester arrests and scuffles ensued.
And if seven farm lobby groups weren’t enough, an eighth emerged from the fray. Enter: Independent Farmers of Ireland (IFOI).
More flash protests surfaced at processor-related locations, as the mood music became increasingly chaotic on the front-line.
With that, in a spectacular development, Dawn Meats was granted permission by the High Court to serve motions seeking to jail 18 protesters at two of its beef plants for breach of court orders.
Farmers kicked back.
Although Meat Industry Ireland (MII) initially offered an olive branch that such legal proceedings would be deferred if all protests were stood down ahead of the next round of talks, it subsequently pulled out as some blockades remained.
The decision was condemned by the farming organisations.
But it was a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire, as 38 knackeries took industrial action due to a collapse of talks with the department pertaining to a number of ongoing operational issues.
Meanwhile, collateral damage on the jobs front escalated. 3,000 employees of Irish beef processing facilities were temporarily laid off – with just 20% of Irish meat plants now operating at some capacity.
Return of the movement.
Destination: Retailer distribution centres.
The reason: Retailers’ decision not to attend the next round of ‘beef talks’ – during which meat plants agreed to suspend slaughtering operations.
This latest round-table discussion lasted a number of days; then finally, the ‘Irish Beef Sector Agreement, September 15’ was reached.
The two-strand deal included a number of changes to bonuses, age limits and residency rules, to be implemented immediately; while commitments were also given to the establishment of a Beef Market Taskforce; a Beef Market Price Index; and a review of the Quality Payment Grid.
But it was a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire, as 38 knackeries took industrial action due to a collapse of talks with the department pertaining to a number of ongoing operational issues.
Meanwhile, collateral damage on the jobs front escalated. 3,000 employees of Irish beef processing facilities were temporarily laid off – with just 20% of Irish meat plants now operating at some capacity.
Return of the movement.
Destination: Retailer distribution centres.
The reason: Retailers’ decision not to attend the next round of ‘beef talks’ – during which meat plants agreed to suspend slaughtering operations.
This latest round-table discussion lasted a number of days; then finally, the ‘Irish Beef Sector Agreement, September 15’ was reached.
The two-strand deal included a number of changes to bonuses, age limits and residency rules, to be implemented immediately; while commitments were also given to the establishment of a Beef Market Taskforce; a Beef Market Price Index; and a review of the Quality Payment Grid.
MII insisted that the agreement would not be actionable until all protests were fully suspended.
But yet, some blockades continued.
It was of course a major talking point at the 2019 National Ploughing Championships.
As the sun radiated down on Bord Bia’s marquee in Fenagh, Co. Carlow, it wasn’t long until conversations also became heated inside.
Then, in a bizarre turn of events, Dawn Meats issued fresh legal action against Beef Plan Movement (BPM) and its directors.
Meanwhile, 18 plants remained barricaded nationwide.
However, after an exhausting eight weeks, farm organisations took matters into their own hands yet again, imploring the remaining picket lines to stand down so that the agreement could be progressed.
After 48 hours of deliberation between the remaining protesters and various mediators, the last-standing pickets at Liffey Meats in Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan, Liffey Meats in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, and ABP Clones, Co. Monaghan, officially stood down on Sunday night, September 22.
In the coming hours, it emerged that Liffey Meats agreed a six-week price floor, while processing also slowly resumed at other sites.
Having spent weeks sourcing suitable stock, exporters loaded consignments for Turkey and Libya at various ports. Total live exports for the month of September amounted to over 16,000 head – an increase of approximately 11,000 head on the previous month.
Farmers, processors and farm organisations looked towards the next chapter: Meeting the commitments of the beef agreement.
October
And so, the next chapter begins with a bang…
Return of the backlog.
After weeks and weeks of factory-gate protests, a large pool of cattle fit for slaughter had clogged the system.
Heavy rain in the early days of the month added to farmer woes, as they were forced to market animals due to deteriorating ground conditions.
Sward damage and poaching was dependent on farm location, with western and northern areas worst affected; however, even drier areas also showed signs of damage.
This resulted in delays; the slaughter time-frame was dependent on animal spec, age and type.
Now that factories were back operating – protest free – the new in-spec bonuses and criteria around movements and residency kicked into action.
In a so-called gesture of improved transparency, Kepak revealed details on weight limits and restrictions for heifers, steers, young bulls and cows.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, appointed Michael Dowling to the role of independent chairman in the upcoming, and much-anticipated Beef Market Taskforce.
Budget 2020 revealed plans for the continuation of the pilot Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) suckler cow/calf weighing scheme. New provisions aimed at supporting beef farmers in the rearing of dairy-beef animals was also mooted in the Dáil.
Just as the air started to clear somewhat, the unexpected happened.
Another protest.
This time at the doors of Agriculture House where all the stakeholders of the Beef Market Taskforce were due to hold their first official and hard-negotiated meeting.
The reason: Outstanding legal injunctions hanging over three farmer protesters.
Having physically prevented Meat Industry Ireland (MII) chief Cormac Healy from entering the building, a decision was reluctantly made to abandon the sit-down.
While some understood the protesters’ prerogative to assert themselves on this issue; others lamented the move as a “slap in the face” for farmers that wanted to engage and progress the beef agreement.
The injunctions related to reported incidents at a previously held protest outside pet food company C & D Foods – located in Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford – and owned by ABP.
On a more optimistic note, a further 14 new Irish beef plants were approved to export to China, bringing the total to 19, including all the major Irish players.
Speaking of China, total tonnage broke the 1,000t barrier yet again for the month of October.
Keeping in toe with international markets, live exports continued on from last month with a total number of over 16,000 head bound for overseas destinations.
Following a department-run trial it was found that using a new and improved grading machine, equipped with a digital camera and LED lights, would result in higher accuracy when it comes to grading cattle in beef processing plants.
Despite UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson repeatedly stating that the UK would leave the EU on October 31 “deal or no deal”, the date came and passed. Brussels agreed to yet another extension, this time until January 31, 2020.
Meanwhile, back ringside, exporters continued to mop up suitable bulls with demand easing slightly towards the end of the month. However, heavier bulls remained a difficult trade.
To coincide with factory demand, out-of-spec and overage steers and heifers struggled.
One step forward, two steps back…
November
They haven’t gone away you know…
Another month, another protest. On the first day of November, a group of around 25 protesters landed outside Bord Bia headquarters on Mount Street Lower, in Dublin.
Under the IFOI banner – and alongside a handful of Yellow Vest Ireland representatives – the protesters displayed placards with a list of demands: “the removal of 30, 24 and 16-month age limits; the removal of the 70-day (now 60-day as per beef agreement) residency period; the removal of the four-movement rule; an equal share of the market price; an equal share of the fifth quarter; and the promotion of grass-fed beef.”
Bord Bia were nonplussed by their cause however, insisting that the Irish Food Board has “no role” in setting the requirements of the QPS, and reiterating its role in promoting Irish food internationally.
This role was accentuated in earnest a few days later when – in a much-desired development – Bord Bia stated that Irish beef exports to China are expected to grow to €120 million (25,000-30,000t) through 2020.
This seismic export boost regrettably comes on the back of China’s African swine fever (ASF) misery, however, for the first time in months, some positivity was injected into the sector.
On the ground factories continued to work through the backlog.
November beef export tonnage unavailable at the time of publication
It emerged that Bord Bia was unsuccessful in its application to the European Commission seeking a fund of €3 million to promote Irish suckler beef in Europe.
Meanwhile, Turkey hit the brakes on its issuing of new live cattle import licences.
Cue: IFOI.
Not one to sit on its laurels, the IFOI were back on the streets of the capital, this time outside the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).
Again, around 30 demonstrators picketed. Their gripe: “how the commission’s inaction has enabled the creation of a cartel in the beef sector.”
By mid-month the potential of China seemed little more than fortune cookie wisdom, as farmer frustration continued to mount over chronic delays in getting cattle booked for slaughter, resulting in stock going overage and ‘out of spec’.
Farmers demanded a base price increase; but factories barely batted an eyelid and seemed happy enough to work away at the current slaughtering capacity – giving priority to under 30-month steers and heifers.
Living up to its side of the beef agreement, Bord Bia launched its new Beef Price Index that allows cattle price comparisons to be drawn between Irish prices and those in corresponding international markets.
Other global meat price markets started to surge ahead of Ireland, but on the factory floor the message was: “nothing to see here”.
After truckloads of Irish bulls successfully arrived in Algeria for the first time in some years, live exporters from the country, alongside Egyptian buyers, landed in Ireland to strengthen future relations.
And then…the tractors arrived.
On Tuesday, November 26, around 60 tractors, dozens of trailers and 4X4s, and an estimated 450 farmers neatly parked up outside Dublin’s luxurious five-star Shelbourne Hotel on St. Stephen’s Green.
Their goal: to deliver letters to the house around the corner – Agriculture House that is.
Their demands: for outstanding summer protest injunctions (related to C & D Foods) to be lifted and for action to be taken to save family-sized beef farms.
48 hours later, having rattled the floors of Leinster House – and the ABP Group – C & D Foods applied to have its injunctions, which it secured against two individuals earlier this year, to be struck out.
Dublin appears to be the place to do business…
December
Is there anything to be said for another protest?
While MII senior director Cormac Healy successfully entered ‘Ag House’ for the reconvened first official meeting of the Beef Market Taskforce without a hitch this time, it wasn’t long until the pressure was applied.
From the moment the country’s farm organisations stepped into the fold, a united mandate was heard: beef prices must rise, immediately.
They didn’t mince their words when it came to demanding that processors uphold their commitments under the beef agreement either.
MII openly acknowledged that some “green shoots” have emerged with EU and UK beef prices; adding that “hopefully” the same would soon occur on home turf.
And, just as the year started on a kill high, it was closing on another as the highest weekly kill of 2019 was recorded with 40,214 cattle slaughtered at department-approved plants.
December beef export tonnage unavailable at the time of publication
The IFA dug in its heels…
Mid-month – and in the run-up to the election of the IFA’s 16th president – the farm lobby group launched another series of nationwide protests.
The latest bull’s eye: retail distribution centres.
The hit list: Aldi distribution centre in Naas, Co. Kildare; Lidl distribution centre in Charleville, Co. Cork; Tesco distribution centre in Donabate, Co. Dublin; Musgraves distribution centre in Kilcock, Co. Kildare; and Dunnes Stores depot in Cornelscourt, Co. Dublin.
Finally, the much-needed increase in beef price arrived – albeit, at a very small scale.
Meanwhile, in another extraordinary intervention, Mark Goodman, the managing director of ABP International sounded some new warning bells from the shores of Shanghai – casting doubt over the potential of the Chinese market.
The date for the next Beef Market Taskforce meeting was set (January 9); with some new faces set to join the table: Tesco; Aldi; Musgraves; and Lidl.
The tractor protesters did not take the minuscule beef price rise lying down.
Another tractor protest arrived in Dublin’s city centre near the end of the month; it was a short-lived event, but the threat of another visit remains.
After weeks of canvassing and hours of recounts Tipperary pig farmer, Tim Cullinan, emerged victorious in his race for the IFA presidency. Kildare dairy farmer Brian Rushe was named deputy president of the association.
Cullinan said his first focus is: “resolving the current crisis in the beef sector”.
A tall order for a fractured industry…