Some farmers told Bord Bia they would withdraw from Quality Assurance (QA) Schemes over the controversy surrounding Bord Bia chair Larry Murrin earlier this year.

The emails followed confirmation that Murrin's company, Dawn Farm Foods, sourced 1% of its beef supply from Brazil in 2025.

The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) staged a rolling protest at Bord Bia's headquarters in Dublin over several weeks calling for Murrin's resignation or removal as chair of the Irish Food Board.

The protest was stood down on March 2 as agreement was reached on an independent review proposed by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon.

Bord Bia previously confirmed that the protest staged by farmers at its Dublin headquarters led to around €200,000 in additional costs.

In early February, Larry Murrin told the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food that he has "never been conflicted in undertaking my role as chair of Bord Bia, which is to lead the board and ensure its effectiveness".

The review commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is expected to be completed by April 30, 2026.

Bord Bia

Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act to Agriland include emails sent to Bord Bia by farmers and members of the public about the controversy between January 14, 2026 to February 3.

As previously reported, farmers also voiced their anger over the issue in emails to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon who had expressed "full confidence" in the Bord Bia chair.

In one email to Bord Bia, a farmer wrote: "It is now 2:30a.m, I am here waiting for a cow to calve.

"I have a Quality Assured farm of which I intend to pull out of when it expires later this year due to the recent scandal of double standards."

Another farmer wrote: "I would urge the board of Bord Bia to consider their responsibility to myself as a Bord Bia registered farmer and all other Bord Bia registered farmers.

"The board should strongly consider asking Mr. Murrin to resign his position. If he does not resign, I will be considering my membership of Bord Bia," the farmer added.

A separate email read: "Our family farm is a member of Bord Bia, with an inspection due in the coming months".

Ahead of that audit, the farmer sought clarity on several issues, including if "any beef that has originated from outside Ireland been labelled as Bord Bia and sold in Ireland".

An email from "a citizen of Ireland" who said they "always buy Irish meat with the Quality Assurance mark" stated:

While another email stated: "Very disappointed this evening to hear that you're standing by your chairman Larry Murrin.

"How can a trusted organisation like Bord Bia, which holds our food, famers and industry to the highest standards stand by a chairman whose company is importing Brazilian beef. It beggars belief," the email stated.

One person requested that Bord Bia "does not allow Brazilian meat into Ireland".

"We need to move towards clean, organic food," they said.

In their email, "an ordinary citizen" claimed: "Bord Bia can now only be called a thundering disgrace and their credibility is completely undermined. In any other country the chairman would be immediately forced to resign."

Another email outlined how "Bord Bia’s mandate depends on confidence - from farmers, processors, exporters, and the public".

"At present, that confidence has been significantly undermined. Transparency, accountability, and decisive action are required if trust is to be restored.

"Silence, minimisation, or reliance on internal processes alone will only deepen scepticism," they added.

Another person declared in their email: "I will not be eating meat in future...any meat."

Staff

During this period, Bord Bia sent several internal emails briefing its staff on the matter.

An email sent to staff on January 20 stated: "As many of you are aware, we are currently dealing with a sensitive issue involving our client company Dawn Farm Foods.

"The CEO of Dawn Farm Foods is also the chairman of Bord Bia, and this has led to increased scrutiny and comment from some farm organisations and individual farmers.

"You may be asked about this issue on calls, at meetings or in informal conversations.

"This is a highly sensitive time for beef farmers, particularly in the context of Mercosur," the email stated.

Bord Bia detailed "key points" for staff, including the organisation's position and remit.

"Bord Bia has no remit in relation to imported food and does not comment on the sourcing decisions of individual businesses," the email said.

The email outlined that "Irish farming operates within a global food system and depends on imports as well as exports".

"Ireland exports close to 400,000 tonnes of beef (€5 billion) each year to international markets. In 2025, Ireland imported 145 tonnes of beef from Brazil - a very small volume in the context of totalIrish beef production and exports," it said.

The email also outlined that "Quality Assurance is more important than ever" as beef from nine out of 10 cattle produced in Ireland is destined for export markets.

"By maintaining robust QA standards, Ireland differentiates itself from lower-cost producers, stands out from competitors, and gains access to higher-value customers and premium markets, rather than competing in lower-value commodity markets," it added.

In relation to food labelling, the email stated: "Only beef from the Republic of Ireland is authorised to carry the Bord Bia Quality Mark, as the scheme only includes beef and sheep farmers within the Republic of Ireland".

Another email sent to Bord Bia staff on January 30 outlined: "We want to reassure staff that a dedicated team continues to work actively on this issue".

The documents also show emails sent by Jim O'Toole, Bord Bia chief executive, offering meetings to both the IFA and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) "to discuss this and wider concerns".

He also reiterated an offer made by the Larry Murrin to address the national councils of both farm organisations.