Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has warned that “real self harm” is being inflicted on the Irish beef industry by the ongoing dispute between farmers and processors.
Farmers need to look at the bigger picture he told national radio.
Ireland’s reputation is important in the global beef industry, but the industry is now at tipping point he said. "We are now witnessing self harm."
Mr Creed added that there was a need for the sector to re-engage and reassure customers. He acknowledged that the price for beef is depressed, but Ireland is at the European average, he said.
We depend on our reputation. For every day that this goes on it will have a long term impact.
Farmers’ voices have been heard, he said. “This is as much as can be done. We’re at tipping point. I do acknowledge that it is a difficult time for farmers. The global beef market is extremely competitive.
I appeal to farmers, to the silent majority. We are at a critical point. We are now witnessing real self harm to our beef industry.
Mr Creed said it was unfortunate that the bigger picture was that the damage being inflicted on processors will have an even bigger impact on the industry internationally.
Legally there had been nothing that could be done about prices in last weekend’s talks, he said.
On the same programme, the President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), Pat McCormack, said the ICMSA had worked with beef farmers involved in protests to try to secure a better deal for them as his organisation has a "major stake in the game".
The situation had built up following a decade of low and eroding margins, he said, adding that no business could sustain that. Mr McCormack also said it was important that a frictionless border remains following Brexit.
He warned that costs will escalate if border checks are introduced and the sector would become very uncompetitive.
Meanwhile, IFA president Joe Healy has said concessions cannot be made on the backstop as the UK “cannot be allowed to go off and make trade deals. We need that guarantee.”
It comes as an Irish Examiner/ICMSA opinion poll of farmers and farm families showed nine out of 10 farmers concerned about the impact of the UK’s departure without a deal.
Mr Healy also called on protesting beef farmers to “read the details” of the agreement reached after marathon talks last weekend.
“I believe at this point in time it is the best deal. It is time to read the document and allow processing to take place. There will always be the right to go back to negotiate.
“Let’s get back to normality.”
A strong message had been given to processors during the talks, he said, that there can be no drop in the base price as that could eat up bonuses. He called for more clarity from the Minister for a road map for the future of Irish agriculture.
All of this is happening “in the shadow of Brexit” he warned. No country has as much to lose as Ireland and no sector has as much at stake as farming, he added.
