McDonald’s closure due to Covid-19 has been described as a “big blow” to the beef sector.
In a statement this evening (Sunday, March 22nd), a spokesperson explained that all of its restaurants across the UK and Ireland will close by 7pm tomorrow (Monday, March 23rd) at the latest.
“This is not a decision taken lightly, but one made with the well-being and safety of employees in mind, as well as in the best interests of our customers.”
“We look forward to seeing you all again as soon as it is safe for us to reopen.” the spokesperson added.
The IFA has said that this it is reflective of what is happening across Europe, where closures have had an impact on the food service sector.
However, it pointed out, some of this has been mitigated by an increase in retail demand.
The president of the farm organisation, Tim Cullinan, wrote to the European Commissioner for Agriculture last week, pointing out that the Commission needed to stand ready to support the EU beef market as it was likely to be impacted by Covid-19.
“The Irish beef price is already well below the cost of production for farmers. They cannot sustain any further cuts,” he said.
