Beef farmers are on the brink and no one seems to be offering us any help.
At a time when we are calling upon our nation to work together, Irish meat processors are bypassing their own and sourcing red meat from countries like Poland to fill some orders.
This is a huge kick in the teeth for the farmers of Ireland – not only during this pandemic but at any time when we work to keep our nation, and many others, fed with prime-quality meat.
There are inspections and a paper trial for each animal on the farm – to ensure quality assurance approval. We have traceability from farm to fork.
But all of this extra pressure and stress on the farmer doesn’t seem to matter to our processors, if they choose to source meat from elsewhere. Where is Bord Bia now? Is it cocooning?
‘Step up to the beef plate’
We have a significant opportunity now, for Ireland, to export meat to the UK, where some commentators claim that demand for red meat has risen sharply, and Europe.
This may be the key – to keep our beef farmers in business…and to keep our rural economy afloat at a time when many businesses cannot function.
Also Read: Opinion: Do farmers need to ‘climb’ the supply chain, to avoid being trodden on at the bottom?The National Dairy Council [NDC] has shown support for dairy farmers with recent advertisements on TV, asking the nation to “support your dairy farmer”. Should we see the same for beef?
Beef is a product that has many of the nutrients you need to stay healthy; people should be made aware of the health benefits of red meat.
Meanwhile, beef farmers are becoming a dying breed. We cannot continue to produce a prime product below the cost of production. That’s not sustainable.
From Helen O’Sullivan, Co. Cork