Northern Ireland-Bovine TB problems and cattle prices.

NORTHERN

IRELAND

TB and CATTLE PRICES.

Northern Ireland minister, Michelle Gildernew, has outlined her own plans for the eradication of TB in the province. The minister has promised that unlike her counterparts in the UK, she has no problems with being hard on the badger population and their role in spreading the disease.

The minister has promised that by the end of the year, she will outline her plans, claiming that Ulster have reduced bovine TB by 50%, since 2002.

The controversy in Northern Ireland, over the differences in the prices of cattle in the province, as opposed to the mainland has reached boiling point.

The Ulster Farmers Union are accusing the meat plants of profiteering, the meat plants have admitted that they cannot compete on price with the plants in England.

The Northern Ireland Meat Exporters Association (NIMEA), have gone to great lengths to explain the advantages that the meat industry in the South of Ireland have, in comparison to the North by way of government help and grants.

Unfortunately for the Ulster farmers, the English government have been lacking in TB eradication schemes, unlike the Republic, consequently they are now paying the price for this negligence alongside English farmers, with herds of cattle being locked down.

Years ago Northern Ireland had a far better quality animal for the English market, than their neighbors south of the border.

This is not the case today, when most of the beef is sold in cartons rather than carcass.

The price differential between cattle from Ulster and cattle from the South West of England is as much as 40p/kg sterling, which appears unjust in anyone terms.

However this is still three times as much as farmers in Argentina or Brazil receive for an identical animal.

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