Red Meat Producers Losing £260m Annually

A report on the red meat industry says that the NI industry is losing £260m a year and jobs are threatened by cheaper meat imports.

The Red Meat Task Force report prompted calls for supermarkets to pay more for locally produced beef, or face the prospect of the collapse of the local market.

UFU President Kenneth Sharkey said the report has provided "irrefutable evidence" that without a radical new approach, high quality beef and lamb production in Northern Ireland will disappear because of the chronic losses being incurred by livestock farmers.

Mr Sharkey said: “This Report confirms beyond any doubt what producers already know; that they are losing enormous sums of money while processors and retailers enjoy a profitable position in the supply chain for local beef and lamb. That in itself is a disgraceful situation, but the task now is to find a positive way forward for the industry”.

Mr Sharkey added: “This independent Report has proven that local livestock farmers are losing £180 million each year. The report illustrates that, at current price levels, even the most efficient producers can not make a profit from producing high quality beef and lamb. These are shocking facts.”

He said radical thinking is now required to create a future for the local beef and sheep industry: “The Taskforce Report tells us where we are today, but everyone in the supply chain must urgently demonstrate the vision and commitment to make change happen and create a viable beef and sheep industry, which is so important to the Northern Ireland economy and rural communities”.

Mr Sharkey challenged retailers to put "contracts on the table to secure the supply of locally produced beef and lamb, otherwise their customers will eventually be denied the choice of local product and Northern Ireland will lose one of its finest industries.

"We must make a success of our unique selling position, high quality beef and lamb from environmentally and animal welfare friendly suckler cow herds and sheep flocks”.

(SP)