The CEO of Bord Bia, Tara McCarthy, has outlined that customers of Irish beef “have looked to substitute us for the next two weeks because we weren’t available”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s CountryWide on Saturday, September 21, the Bord Bia boss stressed: “Building reputation takes time and it’s very quickly damaged. We have lost business not customers.
From talking to our customers, they are looking at in-term solutions, not delisting Irish beef.
Continuing, she acknowledged: “There’s no doubt that the base price for farmers has been very low this year and they have been forced to sell their product lower than their costs is hugely challenging for them.
Beef this year is at a very low price – it has fallen throughout Europe.
McCarthy outlined that consumers of Irish beef are aware of the struggle that Irish beef farmers are currently going through.
She acknowledged this publication’s consistent coverage of the issues in the beef sector and said: “We are living in a global world; if something goes on AgriLand, it’s just as available internationally as it is here.
This is big news. We are a big producer of beef and an important supplier into the EU market.
“We are competing in a global environment which means when we don’t turn up, somebody else will.”
Concluding, she added: “Of course our customers are aware of it but we [Bord Bia] have been in huge dialogue with them [Irish beef customers] – all of our 14 offices worldwide.”