Neither the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed nor his Department can legally have any role in determining the prices for beef, a spokesperson for the minister has said.
“Nor can the Department directly intervene in the determination of prices,” he said.
His comments come against the backdrop of at least 18 protests by the Beef Plan Movement at factory gates across the country.
“It is not the DAFM's (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine) role to comment on commercial decisions taken by private entities in an open market,” he continued.
“That being said, at the most recent beef roundtable (which farming groups declined to attend), the minister urged the stakeholders to recognise their interdependence and he also called on processors to engage positively with their farmer suppliers to build the sustainability of the sector as a whole and to ensure a reasonable return for the farmers upon whom the sector relies for its development,” the minister’s spokesperson said.
"It is essential that the position of the primary producer in the supply chain be improved if the industry is to build a sector for the future."
Funding
The government spokesperson highlighted funding provided by the minister to the beef sector:
An additional €120m available this year through two measures specifically targeting the beef sector; the €20m Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) and the €100m Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM). “These measure were introduced in recognition of the fact that there has been a prolonged and exceptional period of depressed beef prices since last autumn, with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the outcome of Brexit, among other factors, contributing to this market disturbance,” he said.
He also listed other beef farmer supports:
€300m BDGP, specifically targeted for the suckler sector.Other RDP supports: other supports which are available for suckler and sheep farmers under Pillar II of the CAP include GLAS, ANCs and Knowledge Transfer Groups. Suckler farmers also benefit from the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Greening payments under CAP Pillar I.Producer organisations: provision was made in the current RDP to grant support to facilitate the establishment of Beef Producer Organisations to strengthen the position of the primary producer in the supply chain and DAFM officials are engaging with prospective groups on an ongoing basis.Future CAP
“Examination of appropriate measures to support all agri-food sectors, including the suckler sector, is under way in DAFM in preparation for the next iteration of the CAP,” the spokesperson said.
“The minister will continue to argue for as strong a CAP budget as possible, post-2020. In particular, he is committed to ensuring that suckler farmers continue to receive strong support in the next CAP.
"DAFM’s view is that such payments should support and encourage suckler farmers to make the best decisions possible to improve the profitability, and the economic and environmental efficiency, of their farming system,” he said.
“Additionally, DAFM is currently in the process of transposing into national law the EU Directive 2019/633 on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain, which entered into force on 30 April 2019.
"The directive applies to agricultural and food products and protects weaker suppliers against stronger buyers against a specific 16 unfair trading practises which can occur in the food supply chain,” he said.
Read more
Listen: ‘I can only see this getting worse’ – Limerick factory protest
Bandon protesters: a week on the line
Beef Plan protests: factory by factory update
Neither the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed nor his Department can legally have any role in determining the prices for beef, a spokesperson for the minister has said.
“Nor can the Department directly intervene in the determination of prices,” he said.
His comments come against the backdrop of at least 18 protests by the Beef Plan Movement at factory gates across the country.
“It is not the DAFM's (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine) role to comment on commercial decisions taken by private entities in an open market,” he continued.
“That being said, at the most recent beef roundtable (which farming groups declined to attend), the minister urged the stakeholders to recognise their interdependence and he also called on processors to engage positively with their farmer suppliers to build the sustainability of the sector as a whole and to ensure a reasonable return for the farmers upon whom the sector relies for its development,” the minister’s spokesperson said.
"It is essential that the position of the primary producer in the supply chain be improved if the industry is to build a sector for the future."
Funding
The government spokesperson highlighted funding provided by the minister to the beef sector:
An additional €120m available this year through two measures specifically targeting the beef sector; the €20m Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) and the €100m Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM). “These measure were introduced in recognition of the fact that there has been a prolonged and exceptional period of depressed beef prices since last autumn, with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the outcome of Brexit, among other factors, contributing to this market disturbance,” he said.
He also listed other beef farmer supports:
€300m BDGP, specifically targeted for the suckler sector.Other RDP supports: other supports which are available for suckler and sheep farmers under Pillar II of the CAP include GLAS, ANCs and Knowledge Transfer Groups. Suckler farmers also benefit from the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Greening payments under CAP Pillar I.Producer organisations: provision was made in the current RDP to grant support to facilitate the establishment of Beef Producer Organisations to strengthen the position of the primary producer in the supply chain and DAFM officials are engaging with prospective groups on an ongoing basis.Future CAP
“Examination of appropriate measures to support all agri-food sectors, including the suckler sector, is under way in DAFM in preparation for the next iteration of the CAP,” the spokesperson said.
“The minister will continue to argue for as strong a CAP budget as possible, post-2020. In particular, he is committed to ensuring that suckler farmers continue to receive strong support in the next CAP.
"DAFM’s view is that such payments should support and encourage suckler farmers to make the best decisions possible to improve the profitability, and the economic and environmental efficiency, of their farming system,” he said.
“Additionally, DAFM is currently in the process of transposing into national law the EU Directive 2019/633 on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain, which entered into force on 30 April 2019.
"The directive applies to agricultural and food products and protects weaker suppliers against stronger buyers against a specific 16 unfair trading practises which can occur in the food supply chain,” he said.
Read more
Listen: ‘I can only see this getting worse’ – Limerick factory protest
Bandon protesters: a week on the line
Beef Plan protests: factory by factory update
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