Further funding is required to manage the fallout in the beef sector from Brexit, as well as the current pricing difficulties, according to Angus Woods, the Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA) national livestock chairperson.
This is despite a number of agreements on a range of issues coming from the beef talks, in which farmer groups, processor representatives and Minister Michael Creed attempted to hammer out a series of reforms for the sector.
Woods, who is also in the running to become the next president of the IFA, said that “many outstanding issues” still needed to be addressed, and that “proper-risk sharing across the supply chain is essential to shield farmers from the full impact of market dysfunctions”.
“These talks were ultimately about prices for livestock and the incomes of livestock farmers. While the beef talks dealt with these issues indirectly, ultimately this is what they were about,” he stressed.
Woods continued: “Some progress was made on some issues but now there needs to be follow-up from the parties around the table, including the minister and Meat Industry Ireland (MII) on behalf of the factories, to ensure that the commitments given in the room are now delivered out in the market.”
He said it was “very clear” that additional funding on top of the €100 million for the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) scheme would now be needed.
The following is a summary of some of the points agreed during the talks:
- On imports, it was agreed that “it should be ensured that imports which do not meet the same stringent standards as EU producers are banned”;
- There was agreement on the need for a fully funded Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), to protect its share of the EU Budget and ensure that the current level of direct payments to Irish beef farmers is protected;
- A “strong position” for additional funding for targeted direct support for suckler cows;
- It was agreed Bord Bia will develop a beef market price index model. It was also agreed that an independent grocery regulator is required;
- On the Quality Payment System (QPS) it was agreed Teagasc will review the price differentials on the grid in the short term (by the end of September) and undertake a full review in the longer term.
In relation to the criteria for the 12c/kg in-spec bonus, the industry representatives committed to reduce the 70-days residency period on the previous farm to 60 days; and to broaden the in-spec bonus criteria to cover O- conformation and 4+ fat class for steers and heifers.
The department has also agreed to establish an appeals process in factories where carcasses are graded manually, while MII also confirmed that farmers can opt out of paying insurance charges at factories.
MII also agreed to provide a lairage weighing service on request, at a nominal charge to the farmer.
The last major point was an agreement that there should be “a continued strategic focus” on increasing live exports.