This article is from page 59 of the 2008-01-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 59 JPG
WITH early indications showing that the price of beef has started to improve, the farming organisations have been keeping the pressure on the factories in a hope to maintain the positive trend.
Fears have been raised in recent week that there could be a massive exodus from beef farming, and in particular winter finishers in Ireland if consistent price improvement is not witnessed in 2008.
Speaking last week, the Chairman of ICMSA’s Beef & Cattle Commit- tee, Martin McMahon, repeated his
warning to factories that they will fall victim to “their own short-term view’ of the industry unless the re- cent firming-up of prices is contin- UerOmr Ree meee loesIiclee
“Beef finishers are looking at a situation now where they see strong demand and a tight supply, they know that a substantial increase in prices should be in the pipeline and they are left — once again — wonder- ing why the factories seem bent on keeping the prices as low as possi- ble to the point where beef finishers will simply drop out of the trade with dire consequences for the factories themselves next year’, said the Clare
le Dusnoe
“In the context of the substantial kill at the end of 2007 and the ad- ditional and very welcome curbs on Brazilian beef, it 1s perfectly clear that there will be a shortage of cat- tle supplies this spring and that the meat processors would want to start reflecting that reality for the sake of ensuring a continued supply going forward.
“The people who finished cattle in spring 2007 and who suffered finan- cially as a result will not be able to take two successive years in which their costs outweighed any benefits.
“If the processors take the short-
term view again, they may inflict fatal damage to their own industry. Prices must keep rising and they must do so immediately.”
Last week, they revealed that the price paid by factories to farmers has actually decreased in the last 17.
According to new figures seen by