Red meat task force report tells farmers to get out now!

UNLESS there is a dramatic shift in market forces suckler-bred beef and hill sheep production is likely to become a thing of the past in many of the upland areas throughout Tyrone and similar regions across the North, it has been claimed.

That appears to be the upshot of the eagerly awaited Red Meat Task Force Report – an extensive review that was commissioned by all the major stakeholders within the industry – which was published last week.

The report stated that the red meat sector is currently generating a loss of over £200 million per annum when full production costs are included. This figure is made up of a profit of £20 million by the processing sector while producers are bearing the brunt with staggering losses in the region of £260 million.

The result is that many producers are dipping heavily into their Single Farm Payment to cover the costs of loss making production. The alarming figures make grim reading but even more depressing for producers is the fact that there doesn't appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel.