DEAR SIR: In the previous week’s edition of the Irish Farmers Journal you wrongly suggested that ABP was exploiting the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to promote Polish beef in the UK retail market, to the detriment of Irish and UK farmers. You also falsely suggested that ABP’s public statements on this matter were a disingenuous “smokescreen” aimed at disguising supposed longstanding plans to replace Irish and UK beef with Polish beef in the UK retail market. This is not the case.

Our public statement on this issue was an honest and factual explanation for the temporary and limited sup?ply of Polish beef to the UK retail market in order to meet this exceptional and unforeseeable demand: “At the end of March, many of our retail customers experienced panic buying, as people prepared to remain at home in response to COVID-19. This resulted in an unprecedented increase in demand over a very short period of time and processing capacity was not able to meet the surge in demand. To ensure that consumers would continue to be served during this national emergency, ABP temporarily supplemented its existing supply chain with European beef, including Poland. This product is produced to the same exacting traceability and quality standards as all ABP products. This was a temporary measure related to one product which was clearly labelled and was aimed to meet the surge in demand at that time. Supply arrangements are now reverting to normal.”

Unprecedented

ABP had no plans to supply Polish beef into the UK retail market and would not have recently done so but for the unprecedented demand caused by the COVID-19 crisis. ABP’s supply of a small quantity of Polish beef to the UK retail market was always intended to be a temporary measure, which has since ceased. It amounted to 195t and was less than 1% of beef sold in retail in the month of March in the UK. Furthermore, the Polish beef supplied was supplemental to, and not in replacement of, beef supplied by Irish and UK farmers. Therefore, there was no loss to our farmer suppliers.

Commitment

ABP’s longstanding commitment to the Irish and British beef industries speaks for itself. ABP’s beef business activities contribute close to €2bn annually to the economies of Ireland and Britain.

ABP owns 17 beef processing plants which employ approximately 7,000 people in Ireland and the UK.

In 2019 despite the disruption due to the Beef Plan protests, ABP bought approximately 850,000 head of cattle from Irish and British farmers, producing over 200,000 tonnes of beef; which it sells not only in Britain and Ireland, but in markets which it has developed all over the world.

The capacity of ABP’s Polish plants is significantly less — producing 45,000 tonnes of beef, primarily destined for eastern and central European markets. By contrast, 100% of the beef supplied by ABP to retail customers in Ireland and the UK comes from beef produced by Irish and British farmers.

Actions

While others may resort to the soapbox, ABP’s actions speak louder than words. Our commitment to Irish farmers is demonstrated by the scale of our investment in beef processing plants throughout Ireland, plants that play a vital role in allowing Irish farmers to get their product to consumers throughout and beyond Britain and Ireland.