Clare Farming Rep Believes Local Family Holdings May Not Survive Dwindling Beef Prices

The Clare based General Secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association claims many family businesses here will not survive, if beef prices continue to decline. Currently 81% of all farmers in this county are conributing to the sector and the price they are receiving for produce at present is 30c per kg below the export benchmark. This means Irish farmers are getting almost a third less than their European counterparts for beef on the world stage. Cratloe farmer Eddie Punch says the Agri-Food regulator must step in and protect vulnerable local producers.