ICMSA says ‘upbeat’ on beef outlook - Kilkenny Farming

Farmers have every right to be upbeat about the outlook for beef over the coming months and sellers can “hold tough” on the prices being offered, Chairperson of ICMSA’s Livestock Committee has said.

Michael O’Connell was speaking after the last few weeks have seen factories, in his words, ‘scrambling’ to secure finished cattle.
“Realistically, and certainly over the next period, we see a chance for farmers to hold tough on price and we’d encourage them to shop around for best price options on in-spec Angus, Hereford, and Friesian cattle with prices up to €5.20c/kg base price for steers and €5.25 c/kg to €5.30c/kg or even slightly higher being reported for in-spec heifers.

“I’d also encourage farmers with finished cattle to consider their local marts as that trade looks particularly attractive with factory agents looking to buy cattle for slaughter as well as forward stores for further feeding and being bolstered by strong competition from Northern buyers,” he said.

The ICMSA Livestock Chairperson said that on the basis of the figures, farmers had every right to be upbeat about the trade over the next couple of months and factories were wasting their time trying to talk it down.

Turning to PGI status granted to Irish grass-fed beef, Mr O’Connell demanded that the premium it should now command be diverted back to the farmer responsible for producing the animals on which the whole sector was built.

“ICMSA would just say to Bord Bia and everyone else connected with this marketing recognition that it is all for nothing unless the farmers producing the beef see some benefit.

“This cannot and must not be seen as a marketing exercise; this has to have real results for the farmers through real improvement on prices that, for far too long, have languished at whatever level the factories and retailers felt like paying.
“Farmers are yet to see any meaningful improvement in their prices, and we should all withhold judgement on this development ‘til we see whether the farmers actually benefit.”