THE ongoing spell of wet weather through the late summer period has helped to create ‘the perfect storm’ in terms of depressed market conditions for Irish cattle farmers, according to Galway IFA Livestock Representative, Micheál Haverty.

As factories this week impose another 5c/kg snip in beef prices, Micheál Haverty advised farmers to bargain as hard as they could with agents to try and secure a better price than the listed quotes.

This week, steers in the official factory quotes fell as low as €4.60/kg with heifers at €4.65 (both excluding bonuses) with another 5c-10c/kg available at some outlets.

“The ongoing wet ground conditions aren’t helping farmers to keep stock on their land that little bit longer while the bad summer has also had an impact on the trade in Ireland, the UK and in parts of Europe too,” said Micheál Haverty.

He said that the meat plants had a responsibility towards farmers, to pay them a fair price for their cattle, but they were using every excuse to keep cutting prices.

“Farmers, and finishers, who bought in expensive cattle over the past year or so, are now facing into a serious loss situation and we really need the factories to look at the longer-term future of the industry.

Pictured: Micheál Haverty: Factories taking advantage of the bad weather.