The Twenty20 Beef Club, the newly-announced joint programme by Glanbia Ireland and Kepak, has been welcomed as a “recognition of the value of dairy beef”, according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA).
Commenting on the initiative, ICMSA Livestock Committee chairman Des Morrison welcomed the initiative, describing it as a “positive step that recognised the value of dairy beef production”.
Morrison said that the ICMSA wishes the initiative well and noted that farmers will judge it on the level of profitability that will be returned from the marketplace.
“Whether it’s a success or not will be determined by the returns to the farmers – it’s that simple”, he said.
He said it’s important that positive steps are taken to add value to the dairy offspring destined for beef production.
Morrison described these animals as a “valuable resource for the Irish economy”, adding that it is essential that all links in the supply chain – from the calf producer to the finisher – get the kind of fair return that clearly has not happened this year in relation to calf prices.
This is “a voluntary option that has the possibility of adding a premium to the price received by farmers and was to be welcomed on that basis”, he concluded.