The Irish Meat Association welcomes the publication of this comprehensive report and strongly supports the main findings and recommendations in the report.

There are a small number of specific recommendations which we would like to make specific reference to:

Recommendation: 'Farmers, processors, retailers and caterers must accept a shared responsibility to produce safe food.'

IMA View: In addition to the above players there is an onus on the Government through the legislative process to ensure that the food we produce is safe. Furthermore the Government must ensure that the food inspection systems that are implemented are both effective and cost efficient, so that Irish food products are well regarded in the market-place and are not carrying any financial burdens that don't apply to competing produce.

Recommendation: 'The following issues should be pursued in order to improve the standard of cattle:

• build a production quality incentive into direct payments where possible;

• consider how the use of fertility synchronisation products can be encouraged and facilitated, particularly by lowering their cost, while maintaining high standards of control and food safety;

• launch a co-ordinated education programme.'

IMA View: Direct payments to producers will become increasingly important and may in future years account for almost 50% of the overall returns. Introducing an effective graded price structure at meat factories will help to encourage farmers to produce better stock. However, if significant improvements are to be achieved then a quality dimension will have to be incorporated into the various premia that are being paid, not just those financed from the national envelope. 

Recommendation: 'However the Committee recognizes that the realistic scope for Government action is limited in this area and acknowledges that responsibility for dealing with this issue rests primarily with the owners, farmers, unions and other private stakeholders who will suffer the consequences of any failure by the industry to compete internationally.' 

IMA View: If the Government wishes to bring about change then it must adopt a proactive approach, both in terms of facilitating the exit process and by ensuring that those seeking to enter the industry must fully meet the standards already applying to established industry players. 

IMA fully supports the recommendations put forward in this chapter. 

Every effort must be made to process the raw material in Ireland and to divert product toward the EU rather than third country markets. 

To this end, the EU labeling legislation currently being discussed should be introduced in a single phase rather then the 2 stage system put forward by the EU Commission. The latter system encourages the export of live cattle from Ireland for processing in other EU member states.
Furthermore, the export refunds system should be structured in a fashion which doesn't militate against increased sales of Irish beef to EU markets. 

The meat industry endorses the views expressed in this section of the report and welcomes the fact that attention is focused on the difficulties experienced in sourcing suitable labour to work in the food industry. 

Assuming that the above situation continues into the future, meat companies will be increasingly reliant on foreign workers and on the latest technology developments to carry out jobs previously undertaken by Irish nationals. 

Recommendation: 'Adequate staff numbers, IT resources and office and other facilities are essential if D/AFRD is to play a full role in supporting the development of the sector. The Committee therefore welcomes the commitment in the PPF on this issue.' 

IMA View: The industry strongly supports the above recommendation. In addition, the industry believes that clearly defined targets should be laid down for each sector (particularly in relation to the processing of beef export refund guarantees) and the achievement of these targets should be closely monitored.

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