Producers turn fire on processors

BEEF producers have been venting their anger at the processors as prices on offer for cattle at the factories came under further downward pressure this week.

On top of a further reduction in the quoted prices of 3 cents/kg (1p/lb) across the country, the processors were showing less interest in large supplies of cattle, which has become an added concern for producers going forward.

The reaction from the processors has been to shift the blame on to the very poor trade for forequarter beef which, they claim, they are unable to find an export market for.