Sheep farmers need a fair price for their product, one that covers production costs at the very least, Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) sheep chair Seán McNamara has said.
“This should not be too much to ask for when we are producing a top-quality, nutritious product.
“However, the reality is that we are further away from a fair price than ever. The sector is at a tipping point and without serious Government intervention, there is a risk of it being obliterated completely,” Seán McNamara said.
He said that sheep farmers need help.
“Prices look set to dip below €6/kg this week, which is a travesty when you consider how much our input costs have gone up. The sector is in crisis and it’s about time the Government acknowledged this.
"This time last year we were getting €7.30/kg. To survive this year, we need at least a euro more than that, but now we are hearing of prices going as low as €5.80/kg from Monday,” he said.
Imports
The ICSA sheep chair also said that the influx of New Zealand lamb into the EU, as well as the continuous importation of UK lamb into this country, is driving local producers out of business.
“Imports of New Zealand lamb into China have been halted, which is having a massive knock-on effect, as New Zealand lamb is now flooding our traditional EU markets.
"We really need Bord Bia to step up and market our product properly so that consumers will choose Irish lamb above anything else.
“We also need our processors to show some solidarity with their suppliers,” he said, adding that they “could stop bringing in so much lamb from the UK - both live and in carcase form”.
He said it is now costing sheep farmers significantly more than ever before to feed concentrates to finish lambs and keep in-lambs ewes fed and healthy.
“These additional costs need to be factored in by the processors - not ignored,” he said.
He urged consumers to always choose locally produced Irish lamb.
“Nothing compares to Irish lamb in terms of quality, freshness and taste. Always choose Irish lamb and support local farmers.”
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