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Farmers have been asked to pay up to €10,000 each to buy shares in six new beef co-ops.
The proposal was made at a meeting of the Beef Plan Movement in Co Tipperary on Tuesday night.
Beef Plan chair Eamon Corley and vice chair Hugh Doyle detailed plans for six regional co-ops, controlled by beef farmers, which would have cattle killed on contract by designated independent factories or abattoirs.
Are you prepared to buy your farm back for €1,000?
They told around 170 farmers gathered in Holycross that they needed around 200 farmers in each regional co-op, contributing €10,000 each, to generate a €2m fund.
“€2m would get you a decent share in a small slaughter house,” Corley told farmers at the meeting.
“€5,000 would get you one share in the co-op, €10,000 would get you two shares,” he explained.
Disused factories
“We have identified 15 disused factories in the country and we have three small factories prepared to slaughter cattle on contract for us,” he said.
“With 1.7m cattle slaughtered, we know it won’t cater for all, but it will give a bit of competition and competition gives a better price for everyone.”
When challenged from the floor about how difficult it would be to get €5,000 from each farmer, Hugh Doyle said: “It could be €1,000 from 2,500 farmers. Are you prepared to buy your farm back for €1,000?
Independent
“At the moment it is owned by the Department of Agriculture, Bord Bia, factories and retailers. You could be independent for €1,000.”
Corley claimed that the group had already been offered €200,000 from one farmer.
As with other regional meetings, Beef Plan speakers and the farmers attending were vocal in their criticism of beef factories, Bord Bia, Teagasc, the BDGP scheme and factory feedlots.
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