This is a subscriber-only article
Poultry and egg producers are calling on supermarkets to support them as they face the “Armageddon” prospect of losing their free-range status on St Patrick’s Day.
Irish farmers are appealing to supermarkets to follow the lead of German retailers by continuing to pay free-range prices for birds that are housed under bird-flu restrictions.
Under European rules, if the current housing restrictions continue, Irish poultry meat and egg producers cannot claim to be free-range beyond 17 March.
IFA poultry chair Nigel Reneghan told the Irish Farmers Journal that farmers could lose as much as €35,000 each and potentially go under if their products are sold as “barn eggs” and “barn-reared” meat instead of free-range.
Reneghan has called for Ireland to adopt a similar approach to Germany, where free-range farmers will be permitted to allow their birds out for a few hours a day.
This enables them to keep their free-range status and, crucially, the supermarkets have agreed to continue to pay free-range prices.
“If supermarkets don’t pay free range prices, farmers will be forced to take unnecessary risks and put their birds outside in order to save their businesses,” warned Reneghan.
The Department of Agriculture is working with producers, processors and retailers on planning labelling requirements after 17 March.
SHARING OPTIONS: