An open meeting for beef farmers – which will include addresses from representatives of Meat Industry Ireland (MII) and Bord Bia – will be held tonight, Monday, April 15, to address the prices “crisis” currently hitting the sector.
The meeting, which will be held in the Killeshin Hotel Portlaoise at 8:30pm sharp this evening, is being organised by Laois Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
Following a “huge level of frustration” at the last Laois county executive meeting, the county branch decided to take action.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, which is open to all farmers from any county, Laois IFA chairman Francie Gorman said:
“Essentially the meeting is called to highlight the frustration of Laois beef farmers at the price of beef at the minute and also the ever-bigger picture that’s been ongoing over the past three years about income on drystock beef farms.
“The cuts to our supports, basic payment and the increased costs of production; something has to be done to support the sector – or I don’t think we’re going to have a beef sector in this country down the road.
Since last September, beef has been on a base price of €3.75/kg – it’s 30c/kg back from where the price was last year; bulls are back almost €1.00/kg from last year.
“It’s a crisis beef meeting and we’re opening it up now to any farmer who wants to come from anywhere,” Gorman said.