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Polish beef imports were raised several times at the IFA presidential hustings in Cavan and it was clear it was an issue of great frustration for farmers.
One farmer in the crowd said lorry loads of Polish beef had been seen entering the country.
Angus Woods said last year 40,000t of beef was imported into Ireland. Approximately 1,000t of these imports were from Poland.
Woods warned that Ireland had to tread carefully when opposing imports, as 90% of all beef, equating to 570,000t, was exported out of Ireland.
He said as recently as one month ago, UK farmers had considered blocking the 300,00t of Irish beef imported into the UK.
John Coughlan (@JohnCoughlanIFA) last up to address the crowd. Says one of his first actions as president would be getting forward pricing contracts for beef farmers to give financial security on beef price. Such contracts already in place for dairy and tillage farmers. pic.twitter.com/GokpD1NQs1
— Barry Cassidy (@BarryJCassidy) November 20, 2019
Concerns
Tim Cullinan had earlier raised concerns about Polish beef coming into Ireland. He said it was depressing the beef price, especially at a time when farmers could not get cattle killed.
John Coughlan said imports from the EU could not be blocked, but questioned why they were coming in. He said there needed to be greater transparency in the beef market about what was coming in and how it was going out.
Coughlan said the imports of real concern were steaks from South America, which were depressing the European beef market. He said it was substandard product that Irish beef was expected to compete with.
Kerrygold
One beef farmer raised the idea of a Kerrygold brand in beef to secure a premium price for grass-fed suckler beef.
Angus Woods said the issue was that processors did not want to work together. He said a market had been identified in the United States by Bord Bia, but processors preferred to open their own markets and offices.
John Coughlan echoed that, saying Kerrygold worked for farmers because it was owned by farmers through co-ops. He said private industry in the beef sector had “no respect” for farmers and again stressed that transparency was badly needed in the beef sector.
Angus Woods (@woods_angus) first of the @IFAmedia presidential candidates to speak. He says it's easy to stand up and say farmers don't want hand-outs they want a return from the market but stresses the reality is the market won't be enough making CAP funding key @farmersjournal pic.twitter.com/rqD9MctRVx
— Barry Cassidy (@BarryJCassidy) November 20, 2019
Image
Tim Cullinan said when Irish beef was sold abroad it was sold on the image of grass-fed suckler beef. He said farmers needed to be rewarded for that, not penalised. Cullinan said restrictions around age and movement had cost farmers €33m in 2018.
The candidates now head for Carlow where the final debate will take place before voting begins on Monday 25 November.
Monaghan last night... Cavan tonight for @IFAmedia hustings -- No VP debate tonight as it is in Thomas Cooney's (@tomcoon2000) home ground he's giving an address to the crowd instead and in true Cavan fashion he's late to arrive! @farmersjournal pic.twitter.com/z5KGY2wcuw
— Barry Cassidy (@BarryJCassidy) November 20, 2019
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