UFU Want Answers On Price Differential

UK - The UFU says it won’t drop the price differential issue. Prices for cattle and pigs in Northern Ireland are consistently below prices paid to producers in GB, even though our produce is destined for the same marketplace.

13 November 2007

1 minute read

Europe

UFU Chief Executive Clarke Black

UFUI Chief Executive Clarke Black said; “We have asked all the retailers to justify why beef and pork produced in Northern Ireland is paid much less than the same product in GB. We have been given no answers and that simply isn’t good enough. The fact is that this can not be justified”.

The UFU highlighted that GB prices for pigs last week was 109 pence per Kg. NI pigs prices were much lower at 94 pence per Kg.

R4 cattle prices show the same problem. R4 cattle prices in Northern Ireland at the end of October were 190 pence per Kg compared to 218 pence per Kg in the North of England.

Clarke Black said; “If a farmer is producing beef for a major multiple, the likelihood is that whether he is in the North of England, or Northern Ireland, his beef will end up on the UK high street. The huge price differential is unacceptable and is one of the issues which will have to be addressed to return the industry to profitability. The gap has actually widened since this summer which is making the situation worse”.