Farmers put pressure on Coveney to intervene in beef trading issues

Mr Coveney met Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill in Dublin this week. They agreed to collaborate on a range of issues, including the harmonisation of animal health and welfare policies North and South, and to work together to position beef produced on the island as a premium product.
The ministers issued a statement highlighting how cuts in market prices in Ireland, the UK and across Europe have been driven by demand and supply dynamics, retailer procurement strategies, customer loyalties and the relative costs of alternative protein sources such as pigmeat and poultry.