Sheep Farmers Frustrated with Factories on Price, Weights and Clipping Charges – IFA

IFA National Sheep Committee Chairman John Lynskey said sheep farmers are getting very frustrated with the meat factories over their imposition of unfair clipping charges and their attempts to impose restrictive carcass weights.

In addition, he said all sorts of moves are being made to put pressure on price with farmers left very frustrated when they are told supplies are heavy and they see thousands of imports being brought into plants.

John Lynskey said factories need to adopt a more responsible and longer term approach so as to ensure the continued supply of quality assured lamb out of season to meet their retail requirements on a year round basis. He said it is very much in the interest of meat plants and the broader sheep sector that hogget finishers have a strong viable business.

John Lynskey said the IFA met French farming representatives this week in Brussels to discuss the current market situation and prices. IFA also met with Bord Bia, Interbev and the EU Commission to work on proposals to increase EU promotional funding for lamb.