“The continuing low price for NI cattle is a complete mystery, considering that a full 73 per cent of production is sold on the British market and the current R3 bullock average on the mainland is anything between 205p and 225p per kilo, depending on region,” said National Beef Association Northern Ireland chairman, John Carson.

“In contrast, an R3 steer in Northern Ireland, which ought to have been selling for at least another 17p, or an extra £65 per head on a 380kg carcase, to maintain parity with the English price, is struggling to top a miserable 187p and these deep, and unnecessary, discounts have our industry by the windpipe.”

The NBA has recorded that, over 2006, around 18 per cent of Northern Ireland’s production was used internally, around 73 per cent was purchased by mainland buyers and 9 per cent was exported on to EU markets.

Source: Farmers Guardian