The Beef Taskforce should have its remit extended and utilised – because there is still a “vast body of work to be carried out on behalf of farmers”, according to the Irish Beef and Lamb Association (IBLA).
In a statement yesterday (Wednesday, July 7), the farming organisation reacted to comments made by Beef Taskforce chairman Michael Dowling about the progress of the taskforce to date before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
First off, the group called on the committee to take on-board the views of taskforce members as well as the chairman and officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The IBLA noted that: “Many issues were raised by all members of the Ag committee and, from the questioning, it is abundantly clear that IBLA members are very positively engaged with their rural TDs.
“We commend the scrutiny and lines of questioning observed during the meeting. There are many differing views and perspectives from the taskforce stakeholders and IBLA now calls on the agriculture committee to hear those different views from the farm organisation representatives, who attend the taskforce.”
The group argued that this would allow the committee to “have a clearer, greater and more inclusive view of the workings, achievements and failures of the taskforce to date”, which the IBLA said is “critically important from a farmer perspective”.
“The very reason that the taskforce was set up was to air, hear and resolve all farmer grievances relating to the beef industry. It is only fitting that the ag committee afford the taskforce representatives the opportunity to have their voice and the voices of farmers also heard,” the group said.
“The Beef Taskforce forum was set up as a direct result of the factory gate protests in 2019. The Beef Taskforce is the only forum to air grievances and conduct discussion with all stakeholders in the beef industry.
“To conclude or wind down the taskforce removes that right of grievance procedure and leaves no options available to primary producers only to return to protest to have their voices heard.”
Continuing, the IBLA said it “does not concur” with the taskforce chairman that the taskforce remit is near a conclusion, arguing:
“On the contrary, there is a vast body of work to be carried out on behalf of farmers.
“Minister [for Agriculture Charlie] McConalogue can continue to utilise the taskforce to set a pathway forward to address further outstanding issues and he can broaden the scope of the taskforce to cover other bodies of work that need to be addressed in the meat industry.
“IBLA would also welcome, if the minister would request that the taskforce scope out how and in what areas its remit could be extended and utilised.”
This, the group said, could serve as a “key forum for stakeholder engagement and for resolving grievance issues from the primary producers in the beef sector”.