Cattle prices are at a six-year high, the beef processors told yesterday’s Beef Taskforce meeting, despite a fall off in exports. 

Figures presented by Bord Bia at the meeting, they say, show that current Irish beef price is some 10c/kg ahead of the prices in the full mix of our main export markets and in fact, prices in Ireland today are 37c/kg or 10pc ahead of prices paid in our main continental EU markets.

In a statement it said this underlines a strong performance and delivery on market returns when you consider that we export 90pc of beef produced here.

"This performance was achieved despite a very significant 22pc reduction in exports to the UK and a 13pc fall in total exports in the first quarter of 2021.”

Senior management from all the major beef processing companies attended the meeting of the Beef Taskforce.

According to the processors, there is a need for all stakeholders to collectively engage in promoting the positive role of beef as a nutritious staple in a healthy balanced diet, to counter negative and often misleading campaigns around meat consumption and competition from meat alternatives. 

They also said that highlighting the existing strong sustainability credentials of Irish grass-based beef production and engaging positively on emission mitigation measures that will see the sector as part of the climate change solution must continue and called for a redoubling of efforts to drive further international market access for Irish beef, particularly in South-East Asia where Bord Bia points to consumption growth potential and future export opportunities;

The processors also called on the Irish Government to hold a strong line on EU trade and CAP negotiations to prevent the complete undermining of domestic Irish and EU beef production and also being alert to the threats presented by future UK bilateral trade deals challenging the position of Irish beef in the important British market.

Macra na Feirme president John Keane called for greater support for bull beef. He said despite the strong credentials of bull beef to both meet climate ambition and to protect the Irish suckler sector, bull beef continues to receive little support from processors or promotional campaigns.

He called on processors “to take the lead on this issue and give confidence to bull beef farmers by providing a QPS bonus along with investing in market development. Bull beef should have a bonus structure on a par with prime steers and heifers. I urge processors to support a future for bull beef which provides both an environmental and on farm efficiency dividend. ”