Thousands of jobs in the meat industry could be lost due to the ongoing impasse between protesting farmers and processors.

The head of Meat Industry Ireland has not ruled out further court injunctions against protestors at meat processing plants.

The Government has been urged to directly intervene in the beef price crisis amid escalating court actions and wildcat protests outside processing facilities around the country.

With some protesters continuing to defy court injunctions some processors sought to obtain attachment and committal orders that could lead to farmers involved in protest action being arrested.

A spokesperson for Meat Industry Ireland has said that he hopes it will not be necessary for gardaí to forcibly remove protestors outside meat plants.

The head of Meat Industry Ireland, Cormac Healy has called on protesters at meat processing plants to call off their action and to allow businesses to get back to work.

Sterling-euro exchange fluctuations have returned to haunt the Irish agri-food industry, amid claims by some currency analysts that the two currencies could converge to equal value within 2017.

IFA sheep chairman John Lynskey has urged factories to adopt a more responsible, longer term approach to ensure the continued supply of quality assured Irish lamb out of season.

Advances in breeding could see Ireland produce an extra million lambs annually, according to a five-year sheepmeat development which Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has presented to Agriculture Minister Michael Creed.

Ibec group Meat Industry Ireland has dismissed an IFA call to increase sheep carcase weights, stating that this would run counter to market demand.

Co-op umbrella group ICOS says the meat factories and large retail multiples have usurped free trade in the way they apply beef labelling regulations, a claim rejected by meat factory group Meat Industry Ireland.

The EU proposal to offer South American countries a quota for 78,000 tonnes of beef sales in the EU was opposed this week by agriculture ministers from 20 EU member states.

Farmers, meat factories and the Department of Agriculture are all pushing to ensure the European Commission does not offer beef import quota concessions to South American countries.

The UK multiple retail sector pocketed windfalls from cheaper livestock last year.

Ireland needs immediate access for manufacturing beef into the US and full access into the Chinese market, said Cormac Healy, director of Meat Industry Ireland.

Industry leaders have praised the cross-category strategy in Food Wise 2025, the agri-food sector’s 10-year plan to expand its exports by 85% to €19bn and create 23,000 jobs.

Russia’s revenge move to slap sanctions on Irish food and drink imports will hit jobs and prices, farmers have warned.

Irish and British beef are retailing at the same price in Tesco UK stores, but meat factories are paying farmers 15% to 20% less for Irish product, ICOS has stated.

The Woman Not the Name

While the horsemeat controversy has not affected the core fresh beef business, it will inevitably leave a lasting impression on the relatively small frozen processed beef segment of the market.

CONSUMERS and retailers are being urged to support 8,000 jobs in the pigmeat sector, from which half of total production is for the domestic market.

BEEF markets remain under pressure but a tightening supply and more stable demand in Europe offer the prospect of some improvement as the year progresses, according to Bord Bia’s director of meat Gerard Brickley.

“SUBSTANTIALLY better rewards for quality cattle” were promised by beef processors last Monday, as a quality payment system (QPS) was introduced, effective immediately.

A NEW quality payment system for cattle to be introduced for steers and heifers at meat factories on Monday has been hailed as a major advance by processors and as a positive step forward by producers.

CONTINGENCY plans by the Health Service Executive to deal with yesterday’s industrial action by the public sector trade unions worked well, the health authority claimed last night.

THE Government has been urged to stop paying €50 million grant aid to Irish meat processors who are allegedly blocking Irish live cattle exports to Britain.

MEAT factories have been accused by farmers of trying to damage the live export trade, which has grown dramatically since the start of the year.

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.

BEEF processors have warned that producer demands on cattle prices are unrealistic in the context of an extremely challenging beef trade.