Coughlan urges fair prices for meat

Dublin: The price paid by meat processors for animals is a commercial issue and one in which she has no direct role, Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan told the Dáil yesterday.

Ms Coughlan said in a written reply to a question from Sinn Féin spokesperson Martin Ferris that it is clearly in the interests of the meat industry and the food supply chain that a fair return from meat sales is available to both primary producers and processors.

As regards beef, she said prices have been satisfactory in 2004 with R3 steer prices 11% higher compared with the same period last year.