Representatives of Meat Industry Ireland (MII) will attend a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food this week to discuss issues around cattle supply and beef prices.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday (May 27) in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House, and is set to get underway at 3:30p.m.

The meeting will be centred on the reduction in cattle killed and prices paid to farmers.

MII is the Ibec association that represents the primary beef, pork and lamb processing facilities in Ireland.

According to the schedule of Oireachtas committee meetings, MII will be represented by its director Dale Crammond, its chairperson Philip Carroll, and its senior executive Síle Sweeney.

Commenting ahead of the meeting, the committee chairperson, Cork North-west TD Aindrias Moynihan said: "We welcome representatives from Meat Industry Ireland to the meeting on Wednesday to discuss the reduction in cattle killed and prices."

Moynihan added: "Among the issues we will discuss with MII is the concerns from farmers that the perception is prevalent within the sector that fewer cattle are being killed compared to last year.

"But even though there is this reduction in the numbers being killed, they are also experiencing difficulties in booking their cattle into the facilities and they are not satisfied with the price.

"We look forward to discussing with Meat Industry Ireland all of the issues and challenges facing both the meat processing industry and Irish farmers, and just what they can do to support our farmers when it comes to livestock prices and the numbers being killed," the Fianna Fáil TD said.

Latest prices

This week's factory quotes sees beef price offers continue to decline, with a further 10c/kg taken off factory beef price quotes to farmers.

Several procurement staff have not ruled out further price cuts for next week. The message is that "beef sales are poor" and the "trade is under pressure".

Beef price offers are now approximately €1.10/kg below this time last year and 70c/kg below the start of this year.

Many farmers speculating on the beef trade would be of the opinion that the arrival of hot weather in late May would have been a good week to have finished cattle to sell from a price point.

However, this week's offers sees the lowest price put forward by beef factories since February 2025.