ICSA is calling on ABP to apologise to Irish and UK farmers for importing Polish beef to stock supermarket shelves in the UK.
ICSA beef chairman, Edmund Graham, slammed the meat processor for undertaking this action to meet shortages of beef at Asda and Sainsburys while “simultaneously trying to drive down price paid to Irish farmers”.
He called on Irish farmers to “point-blank refuse” to accept beef prices as low as €3.50/kg.
“It is utterly unacceptable to cut prices 10c while leaving supermarket shelves in the UK short of beef. They are doing the same thing to their UK farmer suppliers.”
The farm organisation is urging the British public to “put pressure” on Asda and Sainsburys for such “shoddy treatment” of farmers who “consistently” supply quality assured beef.
Missed market opportunity
“We are talking here about two supermarket groups that are normally large customers for Irish beef. There is no shortage of Irish beef so why has ABP allowed this market opportunity to be missed?”
“Why have they shown contempt for Irish farmers whose hard work has made billionaires out of their owners? This is a new low at a time when everyone else in the country is working together.”
“What kind of people would deliberately suck money out of Irish rural economies by disrupting the normal supply chain for Asda and Sainsburys?”
Unified approach
Mr Graham has called for a unified approach from all farm organisation in Ireland and the UK.
“Not one farmer should supply cattle this week to ABP at a reduced price. There is no reason whatsoever for price cuts as has become abundantly clear by this cynical move.”
“It is high time that ABP and other processors abandoned their disgraceful ongoing strategy to drive down price to farmers.” he concluded.
