Irish prime beef prices slip behind

Irish prime beef cattle prices have steadily fallen behind the EU average each year since 2011, according to market research by ICMSA.

The price for an R3 steer went from 3.96 cent/kg behind the EU average in 2011 to 14.29 cent behind in 2012, 19.48 cent off in 2013, and 26.43 cent behind so far in 2014, according to annualised figures from ICMSA.

The trend leaves an Irish farmers selling a 350kg steer €230 worse off than a British farmer, and €93 worse off than the average EU farmer.

The price gap compared to the British farmer went from 14.42 cent/kg in 2011 to 40.40 cent in 2012, 50.66 cent in 2013, and 54.42 cent in 2014.

ICOS and the Northern Ireland Livestock Auctioneers Association brought allegations of Irish meat processors subverting free trade of livestock between the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland and into the UK, controlling and manipulating pricing and discriminating against livestock marts, to the European Directorate for Competition this week

The UK market is the only EU market where effective barriers to the free trade of live cattle exist, ICOS said.