Farmers gave mixed responses to the recently agreed Irish Beef Sector Agreement at the spring-born weanling show and sale in Gort Co-operative Livestock Mart in Co. Galway on Thursday last, September 27.
Just four days after the nine-week-long beef farmer protests came to an official end at factory gates – due to concerns over a kill backlog and to allow for consideration of the new deal – a despondent mood echoed around the ring in Gort, despite the brisk, quality-driven trade of 475 bulls and 145 heifers at the mart which is located in a suckler stronghold.
Many farmers were reluctant to officially state their thoughts on the outcome of the much-publicised beef sector reform talks – which includes a number of industry spec requirement changes, the establishment of a new Beef Market Taskforce and an independent review of the Quality Payment Grid – however, the fact that beef prices were not outrightly discussed during the talks was a repeated bone of contention among those present.
Frustrations over the state of farm politics was another significant talking point, many also aired grave concerns over the succession of their small family-own beef and suckler enterprises.
Here’s a flavour of what some of the farmers told AgriLand:
John Neylon
“The Beef Plan Movement did a good job with the protests. But, in my view, they should have called it off after two weeks, then go back again in three months time when the flood of cattle were gone through.
“The way it went the whole trade disrupted; it’s destroyed.
“The protests definitely stabilised it, but they could have done better with the negotiations. There is no talk at all of the movements, the changes to the 30-month is okay, I agree with that, it’s good to give 8c/kg for up to 36 months.
But ultimately cattle are the same price, that’s the real problem and that hasn’t changed.
“The IFA has come out of this the worst, without a doubt. But the farmers themselves have a lot of blame for it too because they don’t go to the IFA meetings.
“There will be a meeting in Ennis in a month’s time and there will probably be 50 or 60 people when there should be 400 or 500 to show some form of solidarity.
“Farm politics is in a bad place. We just need one good group to negotiate. I think our presidents of IFA have been very slack the last three or four terms,” he said.
John finishes steers and heifers near Gort, Co. Galway.
Patrick Moylan
“There’s nothing in the agreement for me anyway, I’ll have to join the beef producers if I want to get anywhere.
“But to be honest, I’m just going to get out, there’s nothing left in it. Without the grants we’d have nothing at all.
I wouldn’t even encourage my son, he would have an interest but it won’t happen. I couldn’t in all honesty advise him to stay the course.
“I’ve been in sucklers all my life, but you can’t stay working for nothing. Luckily enough I have a job as well, only for that I would have nothing.
“It must be very concerning for farmers that are depending on beef to make a living.
“With the agreement it’s only the big man that will win, but what will happen to all the small farmers? I just don’t know anymore,” he said.
Patrick is a suckler farmer located outside Gort, Co. Galway.
Danny Regan
“I don’t see any benefits to the agreement, there needs to be a base price. The small farmer is being hit all the time.
“Without price being addressed the rest is just a waste of time.The spec changes might make a small difference, but in the main I don’t see it as a huge advantage.
“There needs to be a base price, there needs to be transparency and accountability from all the state agencies, it’s a disgrace what has been going on.
“A lot of farmers are still very unhappy.
As far as I’m concerned the Minister for Agriculture is not working for the farmers and this will be a big issue on the doorsteps when an election comes around.
“If the suckler farmer goes it’s going to finish the small rural towns, the shops, it will be the end of rural Ireland.
“I would go back out an protest again, I’m a member of Beef Plan. Beef Plan have made a start, they’ve opened people’s eyes to what is going on, they’ve achieved a lot more for beef farmers than the IFA has achieved in the last few years,” he said.
Danny is a suckler farmer who took part in the beef protests in Ballinasloe.
Ronan Nolan
“As far as I’m concerned it was only a factory agreement. Price is the biggest problem, we are just not getting the base price and I just don’t understand why they wont talk about it.
“The factories are open again and they can do what they want. The changes in the specs, okay that’s something, but it’s ridiculous what they’ve been caught at with grading inaccuracies and we’re not getting paid for the offal.
“Everything seems to be against us and certain processors seems to be making all the money. We don’t want to get rich out of it, all we want is a decent price.
I sold weanlings today and I couldn’t get as much as I should have for them, so I’m no better off right now.
“What’s going to happen to the next generation? That’s the big worry. I have three kids and I wouldn’t ask any of them to stay at home because they wouldn’t make a living out of it. They are better off going working for someone else, which is a shame.
“And what’s going to happen to all the land when there is no one left farming it, they are not looking at the bigger picture at all.
“There were only two TDs that stood up for the farmer during the protests – one in the west and the other in Kerry.
I never heard a word form any of the rest of them, not one word, where were they?
“There is no point in them coming to the farmer next May to look for votes, they may as well stay at home.”
Ronan runs a suckler farm near Ballyvaughan in Co. Clare.