The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) is calling on Michael Creed, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to take “urgent action” on the beef crisis at a European level.
Angus Woods, the association’s national livestock chairman, said that the minister needs to “drive home” the scale of the threat posed by Brexit, insisting that immediate measures are needed.
Woods outlined the particular difficulties faced by farmers trying to sell bull beef, saying they are being “fleeced” on prices.
The message from the European Commission in Brussels is that it is waiting for political instruction.
The European Commission Beef Market Observatory meeting was held last Friday (February 22), where commission representatives said it has the tools and mechanisms to support farmers, according to Woods, who was in attendance.
“At the meeting, the IFA raised the financial crisis facing cattle finishers in Ireland as a result of the Brexit uncertainty. We highlighted our dependence on the UK market and the damage already done,” said Woods today (Tuesday, February 26).
He also warned that cattle finishers were being left in the dark, and claimed that Minister Creed was not delivering on promises made on direct aid from the EU.
Woods said that a restriction on South American imports had the support of French farmers, after he spoke with one of the country’s farm representative bodies.
The IFA is itself currently conducting a review into the beef sector in Ireland, for which it is now receiving submissions.
Economist Jim Power, who is heading up the review, said that Brexit would be a “massive” aspect to look at, saying: “The fact is Brexit does pose a massive challenge to the beef industry.”