Meeting on beef producer organisations this weekend

A meeting on the topic of the Irish Beef Sector Agreement, producer organisations – and what benefit they can be to beef farmers – is set to take place in the south-west of the country this weekend.

Being organised by the Kerry branch of the Beef Plan Movement, the public information meeting will take place at the Killarney Heights Hotel (V93 XKR4) on Saturday, November 2, at 7:30pm.

Purpose

According to the Beef Plan, the purpose of the information meeting will explain the recent Irish Beef Sector Agreement, struck on September 15.

The deal will be discussed in both sections, including the progress made initially in Backweston, Co. Kildare and subsequently continued at Agriculture House on Kildare Street.

In addition, there will also be a section dedicated to explaining the concept of a producer organisation.

According to the group, a producer organisation provides a legislative basis for farmers to collectively bargain on the price of their cattle or sheep. An illustration and talk will also be given to explain the rules of “Irish Beef Producers” (IBP) by Beef Plan western regional chairman Eoin Donnelly.

Describing the event as a “key moment for farmers…to learn and to work with new information and laws, which are meant to better their position as farmers”, organisers encourage all to attend.