The survival of the Irish beef industry should now be the main priority of the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, an Irish Farmers' Association meeting in Co Kildare was told last night.
Mr Raymond O'Malley, chairman of the IFA's national livestock committee, told the meeting at The Curragh that farmers who had fattened beef cattle over the winter needed a minimum price of 85p per lb, 10p more than they were getting at present. Mr Walsh, he said, could no longer afford to ignore the collapse in cattle prices and the failure of the factories to respond to increased market returns and supports.
It was clear, based on market returns and both intervention and export refund supports, that the factories could have paid at least 6p per lb more for cattle before Christmas. "They have now opened the new year at the same unacceptable low prices as last year", Mr O'Malley said. He called on Mr Walsh to obtain approval from Brussels for a slaughter premium of £60 a head to ensure the survival of beef farmers.
Mr O'Malley's call for an improved fodder aid package was echoed by the president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association, Mr Frank Allen.
Following a meeting with Mr Walsh yesterday, Mr Allen said that the Government would have to take swift action to deal with the fodder crisis. He estimated that an additional £20 million would be required to alleviate the shortage and called on the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, to sanction the increased funding being sought by the Department of Agriculture.
RTE Radio One's Farm News programme reported last night that bales of silage, which is used to feed cattle, had been stolen in Co Kerry. The programme said that Teagasc officials in the county were aware of the incident.