First of decoupled beef prices

THE Irish beef industry was happy to go along for many years with few major changes on the procurement side other than the necessary reactions to the CAP Reforms, and BSE, and Foot and Mouth.

Along the way, its marketing arms did well to increase its share of exports to Europe from as low as 40% in the 1990s to 83% last year.

Now, within five months, the beef industry here been very busy on the cattle front, introducing mechanical grading of carcases, and a new cattle payment grid. It’s no accident that the industry’s cattle procurement divisions have been galvanised into action with decoupling in sight.