The Ulster Farmers’ Union says the persistent price difference between Northern Ireland and Great Britain beef prices is unacceptable and is putting local beef producers at a severe disadvantage to their UK counterparts. On the week ending 25 January 2025, the price for an R3 steer in NI was 51p/kg lower than in GB. Based on a 380kg carcass, this results in a loss of almost £200 per animal for NI producers.
Following a disappointing discussion with NIMEA regarding the issue, the UFU has now written to NI meat plants to discuss rectifying the price imbalance.
UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy said, “At the recent UFU and NIMEA meeting (28 January), NIMEA members failed to offer a satisfactory explanation for the widening price gap. While factors such as transport costs and market conditions have historically contributed to price differences, the current situation is untenable. We are now urgently seeking meetings with key meat plants to address the matter and explore measures to rectify the pricing imbalance before the situation worsens for our beef farmers.
“Given that the majority of NI beef is sold to the UK market, adheres to FQAS standards equivalent to Red Tractor and is labelled as British beef, this price disparity cannot be justified by additional transport costs alone. To secure a sustainable future for the NI beef industry prices must align with GB levels to help farmers manage rising input costs, environmental regulations, and reduced direct support payments. Therefore, it’s critical that this matter is addressed promptly.”
