Must avoid peak season stalemate

IT has been another week of difficulties in the beef sector, and of conflict between producers and processors, as the price available for finished animals continued to slide downwards.

There was no slaughtering on Monday, as angry farmers maintained a 24 hour protest at the country’s beef factories. While most of the factories resumed slaughtering on Tuesday, nearly all maintained their silence on quoting for cattle. Meanwhile, their agents were offering producers 1 or 2p per lb less than last week.

There were the first hints of a stand-off developing between producers and processors. Processors were indicating a lack of interest in cattle supplies for the week and some were putting out the word that they were reducing their killing days, while producers said it was not economic to supply cattle at the prices being offered.