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The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) said it rejected a proposed recommendation by Bord Bia that Quality Assured (QA) cattle farmers should only buy livestock from other certified QA farms.
The IFA sits on Bord Bia’s technical advisory committee (TAC), which reviews the Origin Green producer standard.
IFA livestock chair Declan Hanrahan said during discussions on the new Origin Green producer standard for all sectors, which are ongoing, the IFA rejected any recommendation in relation to buying stock from QA farms.
The IFA’s stance on the issue is recorded in the Bord Bia discussion document, he said.
Hanrahan added that the recommendation was discussed in detail at a TAC meeting in September last year, where the IFA set out its opposition to it.
The IFA informed Bord Bia that failure to have this removed would result in the organisation’s rejection of the entire producer standard for QA farms.
The Origin Green producer standard is about action we take on our own farms and can never extend to interfering with the normal functioning of the competitive live market for cattle, Hanrahan said.
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) said it was not on the Bord Bia board or committees and therefore had no part in these discussions and would vigorously oppose them.
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