Strong demand for beef lifting market prices

A firm demand for beef in the UK at present is ensuring that supplies are remaining tight and is helping to raise prices there. 

The most recent figures from Kantar, which covers sales in supermarkets in Britain, indicates that there has been an 11% rise in the spend on beef in the past year and volumes remain firm, the chairman of the IFA Livestock Committee, Brendan Golden, remarked last week. There has been a knock-on benefit to Ireland as a result, with market prices moving upward by up to seven cents per kilogram. 

It is noticeable that young bull prices have gone up recently but returns for Irish producers are still lagging appreciably behind those across the water, by as much as 37 cents a kilo, he pointed out.

Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.

McEvoy: Morale in tillage at low ebb

“Confidence is low among tillage farmers and action is needed to try and ensure the tillage area does not decline further in 2024” the chairman of the IFA National Grain Committee Kieran McEvoy said as he urged Minister Charlie McConalogue to take swift action on the proposals contained in the interim report of the Food Vision Tillage Group.

The IFA, in its pre-budget submission, has requested that a pilot fund to provide grant aid for the construction of slurry storage facilities on tillage farms as well as an additional top-up in the Straw Incorporation Measure be provided as part of an extension to the Tillage Incentive Scheme.

Actions such as these are required to raise spirits among this category of farmers.

The harvest of 2023 has still not been completed as there are pockets of spring barley, spring oats and spring beans still to be brought in.

Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.