“I understand the frustration farmers have with the level of the quality assurance (QA) bonuses on offer, but we have no influence when it comes to setting it,” sheep sector manager at Bord Bia, Seamus McMenamin has said.
He was speaking at the Teagasc National Sheep Conference this week (January 25), which took place online.
Many attending the conference stressed that the current level of QA bonuses paid out by factories is not enough, so the Bord Bia representative was asked whether this could be addressed or improved going forward.
McMenamin replied: “The level of the QA bonuses is dictated by the market. We [Bord Bia] have been in discussions with the processors about the level of it, but at the end of the day its driven by what processors are willing to pay for the products and it’s not something we can get involved in as a commercial entity.
“However, QA does help to increase the marketability of Irish lamb and the range of markets we can sell into.
“Big customers are coming back to us all the time about the sustainability credentials of our sheepmeat and by being able to say that our product is quality assured gives you that bit more leverage and foothold in the market and increases, like I said, our marketability when pushing this product,” he added.
“I understand farmers have their frustrations with the level of QA being offered; we are not involved in setting the level of the bonus, but for us, it’s a really useful tool when we are out there trying to sell lamb.
“There’s a big interest in sustainability, and we are seeing that now with China, in particular, and it could come down the line where they ask for all QA product. So although there’s a frustration, it does help us in getting our product out there,” he said.