1:00pm Thursday 21st January 2010
Positive market signals suggest there is no reason why cattle and sheep prices should not remain firm during 2010, the chairman of the NFU’s livestock board said this week.
Alistair Mackintosh was speaking following a meeting of the livestock board chairmen of the UK and Irish farming unions to discuss issues affecting the beef and sheep industry, including the current market situation, CAP 2013, and the future of the sheep sector.
Mr Mackintosh said there was acknowledgement that beef and sheep supplies would remain tight for 2010 and this, combined with the current favourable exchange rate, meant there was good reason to believe that the outlook should be positive for the beef and lamb sectors.
“What our industry needs is a continued and sustained period of price stability and the signals from across the UK would seem to indicate that this is possible,” he said.
The meeting also discussed the CAP post 2013 and the need for recognition to be given to the importance of maintaining grass-based livestock systems which deliver vitally important environmental and public benefits. The meeting talked about the importance of maintaining the CAP budget, ensuring that support was given to active farmers, and making the development and encouragement of young farmers a priority.
Special discussions were also held over the future of the sheep industry, including an application for funding for the promotion of sheep meat in the EU submitted by Copa-Cogeca. The chairmen agreed to write a joint letter to the European Commission to support this initiative.
The implementation of EID across the UK and Ireland was also discussed and the meeting agreed an urgent review of the regulation should be carried out at the earliest opportunity.
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