The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) President Joe Healy has said that viable price returns are possible once there is a fair share out of the retail price for the beef and sheep sectors.
He has also called for stronger action from the EU and Government to address the ongoing income challenges across the chain, reported Irishexaminer.ie.
Healy stated, “Beef markets are in a strong position and there is no basis for any pressure on cattle prices.”
He also said that live exports are performing very well, up 45%, with 140,000 head exported to date this year.
"Demand for beef is strong and export market prices, notably in the main UK market, are very strong and that cattle numbers will be much tighter than originally forecast due to increased live exports and lower carcase weights. Said Healy.
He said this would help increase direct payment for suckler cows towards the IFA target of €200 per cow and could be financed from the national and EU underspend across some RDP schemes.
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
