Meat factories have been accused of not returning "viable prices" for cattle that are the most expensive to produce.

According to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), EU prices have "surged past" those available in Ireland, "something that hasn’t happened since the end of 2024".

“This reflects the strength of demand for beef in a market that took half of our exports in 2025 and continues to be a key outlet.”

Declan Hanrahan, livestock chair for the IFA, added: “EU beef prices have risen over 65c/kg since last June.

“In the outlets for 90% of our exports, prices are almost 30c/kg above ours as EU and UK beef prices align.”

Hanrahan noted that both these markets "have reduced production, so they need more imports". 

“Farmers have made huge investments in buying stock and finishing them for factories at the most expensive time of year, only to find themselves faced with weak selling and opportunism from factories.”

‘Not playing their part’

The IFA livestock chair said that factories and Bord Bia are “continually telling us of the need for Quality Assurance to access the high-value UK and EU markets”.

He added: “We are delivering these standards, but factories are not playing their part in returning the value of these markets to farmers.”

Hanrahan said factories need to “urgently reassess their behaviour of the last few weeks” and “stand strong and return viable prices to farmers or there will be longer term repercussions for the sector”.

“We have seen some rationalisation in recent weeks from two of our major processors," he continued.

“Their current behaviour will lead to more of this as our live export markets value our cattle more than factories here are prepared to.”