The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers' Association (INHFA) has called for the chair and board of Bord Bia to "step aside".

The comments follow confirmation from Dawn Farm Foods, of which Larry Murrin is CEO, that Brazilian beef accounted for 1% of its beef supply in 2025.

Murrin was appointed as chair of the Bord Bia board in April 2024 by then agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue.

Farm organisations and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald have called for Larry Murrin to resign as chair of the Irish food board because of Dawn Farm Foods’ sourcing policy in Brazil.

Following a special board meeting last week, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, expressed "full confidence" in Larry Murrin as Bord Bia chair.

"Mr Murrin has explained that the nature of supply contracts for key customers means that contingencies must be in place to ensure continuity of supply in the unlikely event of supply disruption in Ireland," Heydon said.

INHFA

INHFA president Pheilim Molloy said that "confidence amongst farmers in Bord Bia has been totally undermined, which is why there needs to be a fresh start."

He said there is a need for "radical change" in order to restore trust and confidence in the Bord Bia model.

"Board members need to recognise that this is a full-blown crisis and the idea of just waiting this out won’t wash with farmers.

"I have seen numerous messages and social media commentary stating how farmers should withdraw from Bord Bia and while some may dismiss this, the reality is that this story is not going away," he said.

"While there is an obvious need for board members to step aside there is also the need for a full debate around the role of Bord Bia in relation to how the board is constituted as well as clarifying the legal responsibilities of the chairperson and the board," Molloy added.

The INHFA president also stressed the need for an independent chair of Bord Bia.

"The same standards that are applied to farmers when audited by Bord Bia for Quality Assurance Schemes must apply across all areas of Bord Bia and especially at the top," he said.