Beef committee chairman Martin McMahon said prices should be rising to bridge the unacceptable gap that still exists between those in Ireland and those in other European Union markets.

“Farmers selling cattle this week are losing money particularly in the context of the significantly higher feed costs relative to 12 months ago.

“The prices they are receiving are simply not adequate to compensate for these additional costs and prices need to rise to reflect that reality,” he said.

Mr McMahon said Irish beef prices are still 23c/kg below prices in England, 11c/kg below Northern Ireland prices and 25c/kg below French prices with this representing a massive gap equivalent to up to €80 per head.

“There is an ongoing and growing deficit in EU beef markets and it is now well past the time that the meat plants closed this gap.

“This latest attempt this week to cut beef prices is very short-sighted.

“There had to be a realisation in all quarters that the future of the beef industry itself was what was at stake and if the sector is to develop further then prices will have to increase to a realistic level,” he said.

IFA livestock committee chairman John Bryan said in over two years he had not witnessed as much anger against the meat factories.

Source: Irish Examiner