Beef industry crisis
Jackie Cahill warned that beef prices and farmer returns were in crisis and that help was urgently needed as markets and live exports worsened. The Taoiseach said the Agriculture Minister was absent but ongoing talks were under way at the beef forum with industry and farm groups.
The numbers are down because of emigration.
Comment on this
The beef industry is in crisis. Farmers' returns are just not viable. We have raised this numerous times in recent months in the House. Unfortunately, the situation is getting worse on a weekly basis. Usually in the run-up to Christmas beef prices increase. Unfortunately, the opposite is happening at the back end of 2018. Cow prices, which are usually the barometer of the health of the beef business, are down one third since July. We have no live exports. As a result we have a kill that is at 40,000 head per week. It is clear we do not have the markets to sell the beef. Help is urgently needed if our beef industry is to survive. Farmers have had enough.
Comment on this
I am afraid the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is not here today. I know there is an ongoing discussion at the beef forum involving the industry, the IFA, other farm organisations and the Department as to what can be done to make sure farmers get a fair price and incomes are protected.