Cattle prices on the agenda for beef meeting
Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said his Department will also follow up on improving the beef pricewatch information available to farmers, when he convenes the meeting, likely to take place near the start of September Supply through producer groups could benefit beef farmers in terms of price certainty, and help processors in terms of regularity of supply, said Beef Activation Group chairman Michael Dowling in his report to the recent second beef roundtable.
Mr Dowling was asked to review progress towards Beef Activation Group targets (which include a 40% increase the value of Irish beef output), make recommendations for the sector, and look specifically at recent difficulties.
He reported that establishment of producer groups in any sector is built into the CAP reform, having previously been largely provided for only in the fruit and vegetable, wine and olive oil sectors.
Advantages for beef groups are in concentration of supply, marketing, and provision of technical advice — with the possibility of stronger pricing arrangements on the one hand and regularity of supply for both farmers and processors.
Mr Dowling said ICBF could work with groups to provide data, by agreement, that would enable them more easily to contract on the basis of supply and quality predictability. Teagasc could provide information and other technical advice to such groups.
