IFA national council and livestock committee members held a protest at the EU Food and Veterinary Office, in Grange, Co Meath, last week. IFA president Joe Healy said: “The crisis in the beef sector is an EU-wide problem driven by Brexit uncertainty and falling consumption. This is compounded by substandard imports coming into the EU. The situation is now intolerable for farmers and solutions must come from Brussels and the Irish Government.”

“The first move by the EU must be to stop substandard imports, which are undermining the EU beef market. While farmers have rightly been outraged at the recent EU-Mercosur trade deal, which has yet to be ratified, the real scandal is that significant quantities of substandard beef from Brazil are already coming on to the EU market,” he said.

Practices

“Beef is being produced in Brazil using substances and practices which are illegal in the EU. This is unfair competition and it is damaging cattle prices and farm incomes, not only in Ireland but across the EU,” he added.