A meat expert has said that antibiotic-free beef will be a market requirement in the not-too-distant future.
Pat O’Rourke is the manager of the Edell Point Server, which is employed by Coop Italia to validate GM-free and antibiotic-free animals that go to the Italian supermarket chain.
He is a former chairman of the Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) and former president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA).
According to O’Rourke, 40,000 cattle are being exported annually into an antibiotic-free system that is supplying high-quality beef to the Italian market.
So, in an effort to prepare for this new expectation on domestic meat, what measures will be put in place to ensure supply meets demand?
O’Rourke points to routes to market for Irish farmers. Under the retail chain’s rules there are two options open to them – a long-established trading agreement with the supermarket chain; and/or the mart.
‘Superior quality’
He says that while he appreciates there are issues in Ireland with cattle movement rules, he says the Italians are open to a certain level of movement because of the “superior quality” of the beef here.
I know there is a debate at the moment about movements and these are not issues that are going to go away.
He continued: “Farm-to-farm movement is operating in the suckler herd in Ireland and this is something that is growing. That is down to a number of different reasons.”
O’Rourke went on to say that, going forward, Coop Italia views the marts in Ireland as playing “a pivotal role” in its business.
He said: “It does boil down to the suckler farmer though; is he going to sell direct to a finishing farm? Or will he sell direct to the exporter?”
‘Less movement; less disease’
O’Rourke stated that some of the key questions emerging are: “Do animals coming through the mart system not run a higher risk of contracting disease and illness?” and “what will be meant for movement?”
He says that Coop Italia has done its research on these very matters.
“It’s simple,” he added, before pointing out that the company has applied a one-movement rule in an effort to accommodate Irish production systems.
This is based on the idea that the less movement an animal has, the less likely they are to contract disease or otherwise.
O’Rourke continued: “The key, of course – which applies to everybody in the chain – is ensuring that the animal performs to its maximum ability.
“Coop Italia has given an exemption on its rule to Irish cattle because obviously if they are coming through the mart there is more than one movement.
“The key priority though, moving forward, is vaccination – this really is key to what happens next,” he concluded.