ECONOMIC performance is higher on organic farms than on conventional farms.

MORE and more farmers are expressing concern at the narrowing gap between organic and conventional prices.

COMPOSTABLE cutlery made from plant extracts is the newest and most innovative product which has just been added to the range of Cork packaging supplier Southern Tapes & Packaging.

AN extraordinary number of food producers in Munster have won international acclaim at the 2010 Great Taste Awards held in London.

WELL done to the Irish food producers who have won nearly 10% of the gold star ratings in the British Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards.

HEREFORD beef from Ireland came out on top of a recent steak test carried out in Germany by a well known food magazine.

AN IRISH industry that can undercut its competitors in Britain sounds too good to be true.

THE country’s €1.6 billion beef export trade and its production base are being damaged as a result of cattle prices being reduced by processors, the Irish Farmers Association president Padraig Walshe claimed yesterday.

SIPTU has warned that hundreds of jobs are at risk across the meat processing industry.

THE Competition Authority has confirmed that retailers are pressuring suppliers – including the top Irish food firms – for better deals.

A THREAT hangs over the future of 170 jobs in Cork following the decision by Smurfit Kappa management to hold an emergency meeting with staff this morning at the company’s paper-converting plant in Togher.

BRITISH farmers have joined their Irish counterparts in an attack on low Irish beef prices.

LIVESTOCK farmers protested yesterday outside three meat plants over cuts in the prices they are being paid for cattle.

THE EU’s top court has declared a rationalisation plan that had been developed by beef processors to reduce capacity in the Irish beef industry to be in breach of EU competition law.

THE European Court of Justice is to issue a preliminary ruling today on a long-running legal case between the Competition Authority and beef producers over reforms to reduce overcapacity in the sector.

Marts: Eight factories increased the prices paid for cattle for last week’s kill in a partial reversal of the sharp decline in the return to producers the previous week as the downturn in supplies continued.

Marts: Beef prices have experienced the largest cut in returns in the year to date with up to 10c/kg (4p/lb) wiped off returns to producers who supplied stock to the factories in the past week.

Marts: Beef prices showed gains averaging 4c/kg in returns to producers for last week’s kill, which was the highest for a month, as the first of the grass finished cattle are being marketed.

Marts: The average price for beef has increased by 5-6c/kg (2p/lb) setting a new record as competition between the processors for stock delivers higher returns to producers on a total kill of 28,099 — incl bullocks at 9,949.

Marts: There have been further gains in beef prices at the factories as the supply tightens and processors come under more pressure to get cattle to supply orders.

EUROPE’S top court will tomorrow begin a hearing on a case between the Competition Authority and beef producers over attempts to reduce overcapacity in the industry.

Marts: There was a slight drop in the average price paid for beef by the factories — but the overall change was marginal — for a reduced kill last week.

Marts: It has been a disappointing week for beef producers, during which the average price dropped 3 cent/kg (1p/lb), the largest decline in several weeks.

IRELAND’S €360 million food and drink trade to Italy was mainly driven by a surge in beef exports over the past five years, it was revealed yesterday.

Marts: The upward trend in beef prices has been maintained, but the pace of change has eased to an average gain of 1c/kg, with the price variation between processors for similar stock offering the best opportunity for gains by producers.

Marts: The upward trend in beef prices is continuing, adding a further 3c-4c/kg to the average being paid for stock by the factories.

Marts: Beef prices continued the upward trend, making gains of 1-3c/kg, while the rate of price increase eased at the factories for last week’s kill.

Marts: Factories paid 5c-7c/kg (2p/lb) more for cattle, under pressure to get sufficient stock last week, as producers held out for higher returns before parting with animals.

Marts: THE upward trend in beef prices has been maintained with gains of 4c-5c/kg (2p/lb) in the average price paid by the factories for stock for last weeks kill.

Marts: An increase of 7c/kg (2p/lb) in the average price being paid by the factories for cattle has maintained the strong upward trend in returns for producers.

Marts: Heifer prices increased by an average of 4c/kg (1.3p/lb) at the factories over the past week.

UP TO 2,000 litres of ammonia gas was leaked into the atmosphere early yesterday at a meat processing plant in Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

Marts: The supply of bullocks to the factories increased to more than 20,000 head after the processors increased prices by up to 5c/kg (2p/lb) last week.

A PREMIUM of 22 cents/kg (8p/lb) is to be offered to producers of Angus beef for off season-production to the end of the year.

Marts: Beef prices have dropped by an average of 3c/kg (1p/lb) at the factories after resistance from producers succeeded in holding returns above the quoted rates by the processors, with some of the 38,701 kill last week bought forward at the previous week’s prices.

Downward pressure on beef prices is being led by the country’s largest beef processing groups, according to the officially compiled returns from the factories. Average prices have slipped by 1c/kg for R4L bullocks.

Marts: A majority of the beef factories paid more for beef — despite a strong increase in the supply — for last week’s kill, underpinning confidence in a stable trade.

Marts: Four AIBP factories are among 10 plants countrywide which have increased prices by up to 3c/kg (1p/lb) as the intake at the factories tightens further.

BEEF prices have dropped by an average of 1c-2c/kg at the factories as the supply of cattle is maintained well above average for August. However, but the actual price paid held 3c-6c/kg (1p-2p/lb) higher than the officially quoted rates by the processors.

Marts: Such has been the demand for cattle at the factories over the past week that an increase of over 4,000 in the supply of bullocks failed to deter the average price gaining a further 1 cent/kg — the third consecutive week of price gains.

AIBP Monaghan, a subsidiary of AIBP, the largest beef processing business in Ireland and Britain announced the commissioning of a major development at its Clones facility.

AIBP Monaghan, a subsidiary of AIBP, have opened a new facility at its Clones plant.

Marts: Beef prices increased by an average of 3c/kg (1p/lb), while individual factories paid up to 6c/kg (2p/lb) more for cattle, despite an upward trend in supplies for last week.

Marts: The decline in average beef prices at the factories has almost bottomed out, as the intake of cattle shows the first signs of shrinking but the factories continued to pay a margin of up to 3c/kg (1p/lb) over the official quotes.