The Irish Beef and Lamb Association (IBLA) has expressed its frustration with the recent cut back in beef prices and stressed that the Beef Market Taskforce should remain in place.

The IBLA – two members of which, Dermot O’Brien and Enda Fingleton, sit on the taskforce – said today (Friday, August 20) that the taskforce is the “only forum in which the beef industry can sit and discuss its problems and aspirations and to form a basis for a collaborative approach”.

“Most farmers agree its work has not been completed, with incomplete reports and hard questions on positions remaining unanswered,” the association said.

“IBLA has looked for and stated openly that the taskforce must remain in place to hold everybody to account.”

The group also claimed that “the sound bites from the other farm organisations on the price pull by the meat industry is nothing more than spin,” and that no other organisations had called for the taskforce to reconvene.

“Farmers on the ground, who have seen their cattle devalued again by 20c/kg, are not being represented,” the IBLA argued.

In its statement, the association referenced the 2019 factory gate protests and added that it had seen “no change in approach by those who claim to represent the largest number of beef farmers”.

“IBLA wants beef farmers across the country to hold all farm organisations and the meat industry to account on the unilateral decisions taken to devalue beef at a time of rising prices for beef in our markets.”

The IBLA statement concluded by asking: “Do farmers have to take to the roads again.”

IBLA on CSP

In a separate statement, the association welcomed the decision by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue to extend the consultation period for the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (CSP).

The group also took a different view than other farm organisations had to the department’s recent ‘Town Hall‘ meetings on the CSP consultation, speaking favourably of the virtual ‘Town Hall’ concept.

However, the IBLA called on the minister to “go one step further” with the consultation process.

“The minister has at his disposal the manpower and resources to write to every farmer across all sectors to ballot them for their opinions and views on convergence, front-loading [redistribution payments] and the range of CAP options for Irish farmers,” the group highlighted.

The associations argued: “[We] believe that the minister and his officials are attempting to have a fair, open transparent and balanced approach to this CAP. To complete that circle, IBLA believes the minister must ballot the farmers of Ireland.”