Visits by international buyers have been cancelled due to beef dispute, Bord Bia say

The Chief Executive of Bord Bia, Tara McCarthy has said the ongoing beef dispute is damaging the Irish beef market.

Planned visits by international buyers have been cancelled and postponed as a result of the ongoing blockades at meat plants, she told RTÉ radio’s News at One.

Promotional events have also been cancelled because the product is not there, she added.

Bord Bia has been transparent with customers, she said. Customers who have been loyal to Ireland have been told that "without a doubt" there is a supply issue.

There is nothing our customers like less than empty shelves, and they are reflecting on their options.

Ms McCarthy said that Bord Bia is aware of some international buyers who have been looking at other options, and that the situation is not good in the long run.

There is a risk that Ireland (and Irish beef) can be substituted, and “we will then have to rebuild the brand.”

Ireland needs to be a "regular and solid" supplier of beef, and not "someone who can't be depended on".

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan, speaking from the National Ploughing Championships in Carlow, said he had been told by farmers there that the issue will not be resolved under the current circumstances. Farmers who have enjoyed a positive relationship with a processor are not in a position to supply factories because of the blockade.

The situation can only be fixed by round table discussions he said. The Minister acknowledged that price is an issue and competition law is a factor, but current blockades cannot continue to damage the Irish beef export industry, he warned.