The country’s second beef producer organisation (PO) has been officially recognised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Emerald Isle Beef Producers has announced that it has been given official sanction by the department, following on from the recognition of the first producer group, Irish Beef Producers, which was given the green light by the department last month.

Eamon Corley, the chairperson of the new PO, explained that the company has six directors including himself.

Each person who joins the PO “gets an equal share of the company” according to Corley. There is a one-off membership fee of €100, plus a contribution of €3/head of cattle sold.

The PO is currently accepting registration for farmer members. The PO has a membership form that will ask prospective members to confirm that they agree to pay the contribution toward the PO, and to allow it to negotiate on their behalf.

Farmers wishing to join the PO should print out the membership form, fill it out, and send it to Jane Holton, Nineoaks Farm, Ballinakill, Longwood, Co. Meath.

Jane Holton is another of the PO’s six directors, and also its secretary.

According to Corley, all members can “influence the running of the group through the democratic transparent manner we are set up”.

He added that “all funds created by the group are ploughed back in for the betterment of beef farmers”.

In order to view the producer group’s membership form click here