The tense beef industry talks at Backweston finished in the early hours of Wednesday morning with agreement on a number of further issues affecting farmers selling beef cattle.
The 12c/kg quality bonus will be paid on O- grade cattle and 4+ fat scores from this autumn, it was agreed.
This could result in up to 200,000 additional cattle – many of them plainer stock – qualifying for the payment.
The change will come into operation when the wider review of the beef grid is completed by Teagasc, which is expected at the end of September. The farm organisations expect this review will also see a widening of the grid differentials with higher payments for quality carcases.
Also agreed during the 14-hour talks was that the 70-day residency requirement for the quality bonus will drop to 60 days. The previous 10 days will also have to have been spent on a quality assured farm for the animal to qualify.
These concessions by Meat Industry Ireland were in addition to the various commitments agreed by all sides over the previous days of talks.
Those include the development of a price index and pre-slaughter weighing of cattle.
There were no changes agreed on the 30-month age limit or on the maximum of four movements in the animal’s life.
Protests
Speaking after the 14-hour talks, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed told the Irish Farmers Journal that he hoped the progress made would be enough to stop farmers resuming protests outside factory gates.
“It will deliver better price transparency for farmers. We made progress on many of the 13 concerns raised by the Beef Plan Movement,” said the minister.
Leaving the meeting, ICMSA president Pat McCormack said: “The talks have concluded with an air of uncertainty on whether anything will be delivered for beef farmers.
“We wanted O- grades and 4+ fat score cattle to qualify immediately for the quality bonus. Delaying this until the end of September means farmers will lose out on up to €250,000 on cattle slaughtered in August and September.”
Minor issues
ICSA president Edmund Phelan said that it was disappointing that after some 40 hours of talks there had been agreement on just minor issues.
“We’re disappointed that more wasn’t agreed.” Many of the O- and 4+ cattle that will in future receive the quality payment will be lesser quality stock from the dairy herd, he said.
IFA president Joe Healy said that some forward movement had been made, including agreement on a beef price index and agreement to oppose imports of sub-standard beef into the EU.
“But beef farmers will be disappointed that there is no increase in beef price because that is what is important to them,” Healy told the Irish Farmers Journal.
“They will wake up tomorrow getting the same base price as they were.”
Beef Plan Movement
Leaving the talks, a Beef Plan Movement negotiator declined to comment on the outcome.
The talks took place at the offices of the Department of Agriculture at Backweston, Lucan, Co Dublin, having started at 10am on Tuesday morning.
Read more
Farmer share of retail price 40% - Bord Bia
Factories 'blacklisting' farmers who protested – ICSA
New system for farmers to appeal manually graded carcases
Minister Creed to personally intervene in beef talks
The tense beef industry talks at Backweston finished in the early hours of Wednesday morning with agreement on a number of further issues affecting farmers selling beef cattle.
The 12c/kg quality bonus will be paid on O- grade cattle and 4+ fat scores from this autumn, it was agreed.
This could result in up to 200,000 additional cattle – many of them plainer stock – qualifying for the payment.
The change will come into operation when the wider review of the beef grid is completed by Teagasc, which is expected at the end of September. The farm organisations expect this review will also see a widening of the grid differentials with higher payments for quality carcases.
Also agreed during the 14-hour talks was that the 70-day residency requirement for the quality bonus will drop to 60 days. The previous 10 days will also have to have been spent on a quality assured farm for the animal to qualify.
These concessions by Meat Industry Ireland were in addition to the various commitments agreed by all sides over the previous days of talks.
Those include the development of a price index and pre-slaughter weighing of cattle.
There were no changes agreed on the 30-month age limit or on the maximum of four movements in the animal’s life.
Protests
Speaking after the 14-hour talks, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed told the Irish Farmers Journal that he hoped the progress made would be enough to stop farmers resuming protests outside factory gates.
“It will deliver better price transparency for farmers. We made progress on many of the 13 concerns raised by the Beef Plan Movement,” said the minister.
Leaving the meeting, ICMSA president Pat McCormack said: “The talks have concluded with an air of uncertainty on whether anything will be delivered for beef farmers.
“We wanted O- grades and 4+ fat score cattle to qualify immediately for the quality bonus. Delaying this until the end of September means farmers will lose out on up to €250,000 on cattle slaughtered in August and September.”
Minor issues
ICSA president Edmund Phelan said that it was disappointing that after some 40 hours of talks there had been agreement on just minor issues.
“We’re disappointed that more wasn’t agreed.” Many of the O- and 4+ cattle that will in future receive the quality payment will be lesser quality stock from the dairy herd, he said.
IFA president Joe Healy said that some forward movement had been made, including agreement on a beef price index and agreement to oppose imports of sub-standard beef into the EU.
“But beef farmers will be disappointed that there is no increase in beef price because that is what is important to them,” Healy told the Irish Farmers Journal.
“They will wake up tomorrow getting the same base price as they were.”
Beef Plan Movement
Leaving the talks, a Beef Plan Movement negotiator declined to comment on the outcome.
The talks took place at the offices of the Department of Agriculture at Backweston, Lucan, Co Dublin, having started at 10am on Tuesday morning.
Read more
Farmer share of retail price 40% - Bord Bia
Factories 'blacklisting' farmers who protested – ICSA
New system for farmers to appeal manually graded carcases
Minister Creed to personally intervene in beef talks
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