DEAR EDITOR

I would like to raise concerns about the way Bord Bia Quality Assurance (QA) schemes are operating in practice and how they are impacting farmers, particularly in the beef, sheep, and dairy sectors.

Although QA is described as voluntary, it has effectively become a requirement for market access.

ADVERTISEMENT

Milk is not collected from non-approved farms, while beef and lamb producers often face price penalties or exclusion if they are not certified – even where all statutory animal health, welfare, and traceability requirements are fully met.

What is particularly striking is the inconsistency in how QA is applied. During periods of livestock scarcity, animals are readily purchased with little or no reference to QA status. When supply is plentiful, QA is, in my opinion, again used as a pricing or access lever. This raises legitimate questions about whether QA is being applied primarily as a food assurance measure or as a market control tool.

Ireland’s farming population has an average age of 59.4 years, with over one-third aged 65 or older. While paper-based records are accepted, the growing reliance on digital systems and portals adds to the administrative burden for many older farmers and contributes to audit-related pressure.

Income levels also put matters into context. Teagasc’s National Farm Survey 2024 shows average family farm incomes of €27,796 for sheep farms and €18,101 for beef farms. By comparison, Bord Bia’s 2024 annual report shows a workforce of approximately 152 staff and a wage bill of €10.8m, equating to an average salary of about €71,000 per employee.

The same annual report also records €2.64m in non-compliant expenditure and a €236,000 legal settlement arising from Workplace Relations Commission proceedings, covered by a confidentiality agreement. Given the strict compliance regime applied to farmers, it is reasonable to ask what accountability applies internally when such issues arise within Bord Bia itself.

Irish farmers consistently meet high statutory standards for animal welfare, food safety, and traceability. Produce that meets all legal requirements should not be implicitly portrayed as inferior solely because it does not carry a Bord Bia QA stamp.

I believe these issues deserve open discussion within the farming community.