Doherty calls for urgent solution to beef pricing issue

Fine Gael TD for Meath East, Regina Doherty, has today (Monday), called for an urgent solution to the beef pricing issue which is severely impacting on Meath farmers. Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney TD has said he is confident that a solution to the beef crisis can be found by this Wednesday (12^th November).

“I support the farmers today who are protesting and who are looking for satisfaction on this issue. It is hoped that the Beef Forum will produce some results by Wednesday and I am confident that this can happen if all sides interact and work towards a negotiated solution.

“Farmers are angry with what has been going on for the past number of months and I don’t blame them. There needs to be more transparency around the pricing of beef in factories and I think we are moving towards that.

“Reaching a solution that satisfies both farmers and factories was never going to be easy or straightforward. Everybody who understands the beef industry knows that there has always been a very fractious and difficult relationship between the two.

“There is a real problem in the relationships between farmer and factory, particularly considering the size and scale of the processors in relation to beef farmers, many of whom have small numbers of cattle. Producer organisations, which could represent up to 5,000 farmers, already work well in other European countries and should make a big difference to farmers’ negotiations here.

“The Beef Forums will also take place every number of months to ensure that the changes in the industry are monitored, assessed and communicated. It is important that this issue is addressed now but also that we put processes in place to prevent the same thing happening again in the future.”