The Beef Plan Movement has outlined areas it needs to see movement on at the latest round of beef talks taking place on Monday 19 August.

In a document seen by the Irish Farmers Journal, the Beef Plan said answers and commitments received will be brought back to farmers “who were on the protest line” as soon as possible.

The decision on what to do next will then be left with farmers.

Priority

The first priority for the group is amendments to the criteria for cattle to qualify for the in-spec bonus.

The Beef Plan believes there are “anti-competitive practises” embedded in the QPS structure.

It wants to see:

  • The 30-month age limit for steers and heifers increased to 36 months.
  • The four-movement rule abolished.
  • The 70-day residency rule carry from one QA farmer to another.
  • Acceptable weight limits factored in to allow maximum benefits for suckler-bred stock.
  • The Beef Plan also wants to see a travel restriction of 125km on category one waste removed.

    Due to competition law, discussions around price per kilo are not permitted at the talks.

    However, the Beef Plan said there can be talks around pricing models and it wants to see traction on a number of suggested pricing models.

    Short-term pricing model

    The Beef Plan wants a short-term model to apply from now until February 2020.

    It said the factories had a responsibility to pay market price, which currently is €3.50.

    However, coined the 'survival line', the Beef Plan estimates farmers must receive €4/kg to survive.

    The Government and EU will be called upon to find the money required to bridge the shortfall between the market price and the farmers’ survival line.

    The Beef Plan said the money should be given to the factories in return for a “cast-iron guarantee” that the price paid to farmers never drops below the €4/kg mark.

    The Beef Plan said: “This short-term pricing model is needed to avoid the complete devastation of beef farming until a long-term pricing model can be put in place.”

    Long-term pricing model

    From post-February 2020, the Beef Plan wants an agreement in place where the retailers, processors and farmers are “allocated a fair share of the retail price”.

    For a kilo of beef, what it costs retailers to sell it, processors to process it and farmers to produce it will be determined and a distribution of the retail price on a yearly basis will be agreed between all three.

    It also wants producer groups to receive an additional 8c/kg on the national average quote to account for the costs of running such groups.

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