ICSA Beef chair Edmund Graham has slammed meat factories for daring to slash prices while input costs are hammering primary producers. “The Agricultural Price Indices released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) this week show just how much our costs have increased over the past year. It is profoundly disturbing to see meat processors doing their utmost to push down prices when farmers are grappling with costs of production that are completely out of control,” he said.

According to the CSO, feed prices have gone up by 34.2%, energy costs have risen by 51.3%, and the price of fertiliser is up by a staggering 133.8% when compared to summer 2021.

Continuing Mr Graham said, “Right now, our primary producers - particularly those in the in the low-income sheep, suckler, and beef sectors - are facing a perfect storm with costs continuing to rise while factories appear ever more determined pay producers as little as possible. It is quite simple, we need to be getting more for our produce, not less.”

“It is a mistake to believe that farmers can shoulder these additional costs and stay in business. It is time for meat processors to show some solidarity with their suppliers. It is also time for the retailers, consumers, and the government to get to grips with the reality that food cannot be produced out of thin air.”