News – June 2009
29th June 2009 – Beef Processors Must Show Leadership – ICSA
ICSA beef chairman Sean Scully has said that at a time when processors are planning on implementing a new quality based grading system, they should show leadership. He said, “Processors should reward farmers with the better grades of cattle rather than allow manufacturing beef to drag down all prices across the board.”
Pressure is coming on beef prices from an over supply of cull cows. U grade bullocks are making 325c/kg (£1.16/lb), R grades 319c/kg (£1.14/lb) and 308c/kg (£1.10/lb) for O grades. Heifers are trading at 325c/kg (£1.16/lb). Cows are making between 258c/kg – 269c/kg (£0.92/lb – £0.96) and bulls are trading at 325c/kg – 330c/kg (£1.16/lb – £1.18/lb).
“All sectors involved in the beef industry must show vision and leadership at this time to ensure there is a viable future in beef production,” concluded Mr Scully.
26th June 2009 – Cautious Welcome for TB Blood Test
ICSA president Malcolm Thompson has given a cautious welcome to the news that the Department of Agriculture plans to trial a new blood diagnostic test for TB.
“We are 40 years down the road on TB and we are no closer to resolving the problem. We need to strive towards finally eradicating the problem for once and for all and not be looking for other ways to punish farmers through additional testing costs. Many farmers have serious difficulties with the current costs associated with TB testing and this blood test must not be turned into another cash cow for Enfer,” he said.
23rd June 2009 – ICSA Welcomes FDII Proposals and Calls for Tougher Measures to Curb Supermarket Power
ICSA president Malcolm Thompson has today welcomed the recommendations of Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII) in calling for regulation of the supermarket sector in Ireland and the introduction of an ombudsman to deal with specific issues relating to the retail sector.
“Given that over 70% of the grocery retail sector in Ireland is shared among three companies the power they wield in controlling the prices paid to farmers and other suppliers is huge. FDII’s recommendations are indeed welcome but ICSA would also advocate that the government should demand that the accounts of retailing giants are made transparent so that it will be clear how much profit is being made and what the margins are.”
“It would make sense that the price paid to the farmer is displayed on supermarket shelves alongside the price being charged to the consumer for such products as milk and fresh meats,” said Mr. Thompson.
“In most cases farmers are still getting the same prices for their products that they were receiving 20 years ago. It is disgraceful that farmers get less than 1/3 of the final retail price for beef and lamb and dairy farmers are receiving 20c/l for milk which is being sold for up to €1.20c/l,” he concluded.
16th June 2009 – Pay No Heed to the ‘Meat Free’ Nonsense says ICSA
The general secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) Eddie Punch has today dismissed the launch of a campaign for “Meat Free Mondays” in the UK as “total nonsense, driven by militant vegetarianism masquerading as concern for the environment.”
Mr Punch said, “In addressing climate change issues it is time for clear thinking rather than ill-informed propaganda. The use of celebrity influence to promote militant vegetarianism is clearly flawed when you examine the real evidence that is out there.”
“Recommendations on global eating patterns are probably best left to science. The reality is;
- Climate change strategies must not undermine food security and nutritional concerns. Meat has a high nutrient content. People from poorer countries need more meat and meat products in their diet as a source of protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12 & D. Western countries also need to improve their diet and meat forms a key part of balanced diets. In a recent study, 13% of Irish men and 15% of women were found to not have enough zinc in their diet*.
- A lot of livestock production is carried out on land that is not suitable for tillage, such as in mountainous areas and on wetter land.
- Ploughing grass-land that would otherwise be used to produce beef and lamb releases large amounts of GHGs.
- Rice cultivation accounts for 13% of all green house gas emission attributed to agriculture.
- Livestock production is an integral part of organic farming systems; it is not just complementary to growing crops, it is the essential source of natural fertilizers.
- Commercially grown vegetables have a significant impact on GHG emissions through the use of herbicides, fertilisers and pesticides.
- Irish and British beef and lamb is mainly grass fed and, according to the climate change experts, in agriculture improved grassland management is the ‘single largest abatement lever’ to green house gases (GHGs).
“Livestock producers are also examining ways to negate their carbon emissions by looking at alternative energy sources on farm, anaerobic digestion and the possibility of introducing digestion aids that will result in less methane emissions from livestock,” he said.
“Aging pop stars, noted for their conspicuous consumption and wasteful jet setting, are hardly best placed to lecture ordinary meat-eating folk on how to change their lifestyle patterns in order to save the planet,” he concluded.
* IUNA, 2001 (Irish Universities Nutritional Alliance)
15th June 2009 – Future of Beef Industry Dependent on Supply of Cattle
ICSA beef chairman Sean Scully has said that the future of the beef industry is dependent on a continuous supply of cattle being available. “After the treatment that winter finishers experienced in the last season, it is very hard to see many of them signing up again for a repeat performance next season. The present scarcity of finished cattle was caused by factories buying any fleshy cattle that appeared in marts during the spring for slaughter.”
This week sees U grade bullocks making 330c/kg (£1.18/lb), R grades 325c/kg (£1.16/lb) and 314c/kg (£1.12/lb) for O grades. Heifers are trading at 330c/kg – 336c/kg (£1.18/lb – £1.20/lb). Cows are making between 280c/kg – 291c/kg (£1.00/lb – £1.04/lb) and bulls are trading at 325c/kg – 330c/kg (£1.16/lb – £1.18/lb).
Mr Scully said “The signs are that there will be a strong demand for beef products in Europe for the foreseeable future.”
11th June 2009 – ICSA Visit Italian Feedlots
A delegation from ICSA (Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association) has recently returned from visiting Italian feedlots and comparing supermarket beef prices there with those in Ireland. The delegation included ICSA president Malcolm Thompson, and ICSA suckler chairman Brendan Mc Laughlin and were accompanied by Mario Bertolli, chief veterinary officer from the area.
The group visited top quality finishing units where weanlings were imported from Ireland and were impressed with the growth and quality of the cattle.
On the farm of Francesco Barazelli, Francesco explained “I have no difficulty paying over €1,000 along with the weight for top quality Irish weanlings. These animals have hybrid vigour, grow quickly and we sell them live for slaughter at 700kgs to 750kgs at €3.25 per kilo. The average bull makes about €2,500. Cattle are fed maize and straw for the first week after arrival and are then put on a diet consisting entirely of pasta. The pasta comes from a local manufacturer who passes on misshapen or broken pasta not suitable for resale.”
ICSA suckler chairmen Brendan McLaughlin commented wryly “we are told to produce top quality in Ireland and then when we do we don’t get rewarded accordingly. I am going to leave no stone unturned in investigating every avenue to ensure that weanling producers get paid top prices for top quality weanlings.”
8th June 2009 – Beef Price Rise as Stock gets Scarcer
ICSA beef chairman Sean Scully has said there has been a marked rise in beef prices over the weekend and believes that further increases are on the way. “I am confident, after talking to people involved in the beef industry in Northern Ireland and England, that there are more price improvements to be seen in the coming weeks. Beef cattle are scarcer on the ground and factory agents are actively pursuing stock outside of their normal areas.”
This week sees U grade bullocks making 325c/kg (£1.16/lb), R grades 319c/kg (£1.14/lb) and 308c/kg (£1.10/lb) for O grades. Factory heifers are trading at 325c/kg – 330c/kg (£1.16/lb – £1.18/lb). Good cows are making anything up to 291c/kg (£1.04/lb) and bulls are trading at 319c/kg – 325c/kg (£1.14/lb – £1.16/lb).
Mr Scully said he is concerned at the variations in insurance costs being charged in different factories. “Some factories are charging up to €5 per head for insurance while others are charging €3. Perhaps someone could explain to farmers why there is such a difference,” he concluded.
4th June 2009 – ICSA Calls for Calculations under FWMS to be Made Available to Farmers
ICSA President Malcolm Thompson has called on the Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith TD to make the calculations of grant payments under the Farm Waste Management Scheme (FWMS) available to farmers and their representatives so that they may be compared with the Department of Agriculture costings and agreed payments.
“We are simply getting too many farmers who feel short changed when they get their approval and 40% of their grant payment. Many of these payments fall far short of what they were told to expect by Teagasc or by their farm advisor, and without the calculations we are at a loss to see what has gone wrong,” said Mr Thompson.
The current practice is that the farmer is advised of the amount of his grant entitlements without any indication as to how this figure was arrived at. ICSA is seeking clarity and transparency and that should be in everyone’s interest.
“It may well transpire that the advice farmers received was incorrect, but on the other hand we seem to have far more complaints with the later payments than with the earlier approvals, and we are simply trying to help farmers pin point where the discrepancy occurred,” concluded Mr Thompson.
3rd June 2009 – Farmers Need More Clarity on Sheep Funding
ICSA sheep chairman Mervyn Sunderland has welcomed the confirmation by the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Brendan Smith TD that €25 million of unused funds will be ring-fenced for the sheep sector but he has called for immediate clarification on how exactly the funds will be allocated.
Mr Sunderland said, “There is no doubt that the sheep sector has suffered from low prices and it is a fact that the average sheep farmer has a lower single farm payment than those involved in other sectors. Sheep farmers are still unsure as to what shape the additional funding will take and they need this information in order to plan ahead. Unfortunately the sheep sector has been put on the back burner repeatedly and it is in no-one’s interest to allow uncertainty to continue.”
