The prices of Irish steers and heifers should be moving upwards in line with those in the UK, the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) livestock chair Des Morrison has said.For the week ending 22 August, UK prices increased by 2p/kg, up a significant 47p/kg on the same week in 2019 and 22.6p/kg above the five-year average, Morrison said.
The prices of Irish steers and heifers should be moving upwards in line with those in the UK, the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) livestock chair Des Morrison has said.
For the week ending 22 August, UK prices increased by 2p/kg, up a significant 47p/kg on the same week in 2019 and 22.6p/kg above the five-year average, Morrison said.
“When you look at the data for Ireland, our prices fell back on week ending 22 August, leaving them only about 20c/kg ahead of 2019 levels. The contrast between prices in Ireland and the UK is striking and frankly inexplicable,” he said.
Converted to euros, an R4 steer is making more than 430c/kg and the average steer is making 418c/kg in the UK, he pointed out.
Anger
“Irish farmers have every right to be angry about this growing disparity,” Morrison stated.
He expected Irish cattle numbers to be down on 2019 levels and he suspected that “yet again” there was an element of factories “taking advantage” of certain factors.
These included the 30-month age limit to qualify for the in-spec bonus and the poor weather conditions.
Morrison said there was absolutely no discernible market reason for the downbeat outlook Irish farmers were currently being presented with.
“We think that Irish beef prices should be following the UK market upwards and, at the very least, prices should most certainly not be cut. If they are being cut, the only explanation is factory profiteering,” he concluded.
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