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Following the seventh meeting of the Beef Task Force today, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., said “I am pleased that there had been significant progress in the work of the Task Force.

He noted that, “the completion of the three market transparency studies commissioned by my Department will be an important step towards improving visibility of the complex supply chain which is integral in fostering trust and enhancing supply chain relationships.  These studies will act as an important starting point for driving increased transparency, and I hope that they will be competed and published as soon as possible in the New Year.”

The seventh meeting of the Beef Taskforce was held virtually today, 17th December 2020.  Following the agreement of the PGI application for Irish Grass Fed beef at the last meeting of the Taskforce in October, the key focus today was the market transparency studies commissioned as part of the beef sector agreement 2019.

Grant Thornton updated on progress as follows:

• Report one; an overview of competition law as it relates to the beef sector in Ireland is complete and will be published shortly.
• Report two; an independent review of the market and customer requirements of Irish beef is at an advanced draft stage and has been given to the Taskforce for comment.
• Report three; price composition along the supply chain is at an advanced stage and a draft will be circulated to the Taskforce for comment in January.

The Minister concluded, “It is more important than ever that we all work together given the unique set of challenges currently faced by the sector. Continued strong and constructive engagement in the beef taskforce is key to meeting these challenges.”