We are all acutely aware of the pandemic that has landed on our island. We cannot see, smell or see the face of this enemy – other than to trace and track symptoms of sickness in our people.

However, as a nation, we have united both town and country people – on our national endeavour to ‘flatten the curve’. Rural Ireland and our farming communities have embraced social distancing and, with this, it has brought further isolation to some.

However, not everyone has embraced this same sense of patriotism.

Let me explain what I’m talking about. If we look at our dairy sector, plans have been put in place by our milk processors to help protect the dairy supply chain. The National Dairy Council has embarked on a promotional campaign on our TVs – to inform the public and drive demand for our products.

I would argue that our meat processing industry – or Bord Bia for that matter – has not shown the same patriotic streak. Our meat processors have dropped the price of beef. We’ve even seen recent evidence of one company importing beef [from elsewhere] into one of our major markets.

Meanwhile, back home, we’re being told that demand for beef has reduced. But, strangely, I read an article in a UK farming publication claiming that demand for red meat in some supermarkets has risen significantly.

So where is Bord Bia’s promotional campaign to safeguard our industry?

We are being told that the beef burger market has reduced, due to the [temporary] closure of the likes of McDonald’s. However, an increase in demand in the UK in some supermarkets suggests that consumers are making their own burgers. Home cooking, it seems, is the new going out.

Attractive steak cuts?

It is true to say that the steak market has reduced, due to the [temporary] closure of hotels and restaurants. That’s all the more reason why forward thinking is needed – within the processing industry to make these steak cuts attractive at retail level. Citizens are willing and able to cook and, of course, eat steaks.

We need the restaurant industry to be entrepreneurial…and embrace take-out steak meals. When the curve flattens, the trade in fast food and take-out meals will be the quickest to recover.

The market for our high-quality beef has not simply vanished. However, new doors need to be opened – to enable people to access our high-quality produce.

It is incumbent on our meat industry to look beyond its own profit margins…to ‘wear the green jersey’ – a metaphorical jersey that shares its colour with our Bord Bia [quality-assured] logo. If this doesn’t happen primary producers will go bust.

You could almost say that the beef industry is riddled by a ‘disease’ of its own – not a medical virus but an inherent lack of trust.

The cure…

There is only one cure – a serious dose of honesty and partnership. We implore the meat processing industry to do the right thing by our farmers. The ball is at their feet.

From Gerard Pilkington, beef farmer and a member of Beef Plan, Gurteen, Co. Sligo