UK retailers invited to attend Beef Taskforce meeting

The Government is being urged to be more pro-active in its efforts to resolve the stand-off between farmers and retailers over the price of beef.

It comes as UK retailers were invited to attend the next meeting of of the Beef Taskforce with their Irish counterparts, due to take place on January 9.

At a meeting earlier this month, leading farming groups said there was an urgent need for the base price paid for cattle by retailers to rise.

Independent TD Mattie McGrath rejected the Government's claim that they cannot intervene in the market, saying governments do so in the US and France.

He said:"We have to have proper legislation that defends our primary producers."