Farmers urge factories to reverse meat price cuts

The IFA has met Meat Industry Ireland officials to urge meat factories to invest in their farmer suppliers by offering fairer prices.

IFA president Joe Healy and national livestock chairman Angus Woods met Meat Industry Ireland’s chairman and other senior officials in Portlaoise, Co Laois, with the factory price cuts top of the agenda.

The IFA told the meat factory representatives that farmer anger is rising over the severity of the beef price cuts in the last month.

Angus Woods said: “Cattle farmers are under savage income pressure from the price cuts. The negative message from the factories to farmers has been overdone. It is time for stability to be restored.”

Joe Healy told the factory representatives the €100 per head cut in cattle prices had gone too far.

He said it is essential that stability and confidence should be restored at farm level.

Meanwhile, the IFA has also called for government action to support beef and mushroom farmers hit by the decline of sterling.

Joe Healy said: “Sterling has been falling since April, when it was at 85p:€1. By the end of August, Sterling fell to 93p:€1. The beef and mushroom sectors are coming under intolerable price pressure as a result.”