Irish Beef in the USA

Crossakiel

It would be great to think that this weeks trade mission to the USA would open a major new market for Irish beef and reduce our reliance on the UK as the main export market. Anyone have any thoughts?

http://www.agriland.ie/news/coveney-leads-trade-promotion-us-irish-beef/

Cavanjack

Crossakiel wrote: »

It would be great to think that this weeks trade mission to the USA would open a major new market for Irish beef and reduce our reliance on the UK as the main export market. Anyone have any thoughts?

http://www.agriland.ie/news/coveney-leads-trade-promotion-us-irish-beef/

It is great news to have another outlet for our beef but I would say as usual it will not benefit beef farmers' pockets.

Crossakiel

ABP have just announced a deal worth 15 million per year starting in March http://www.agriland.ie/news/larry-goodmans-abp-group-announces-us-deal-irish-beef/

Just heard Simon Coveney on the Radio, seemed to think that Board Bia could use the Irish Card to get all the Irish eating Irish Beef in the states, with little marketing. Wouldnt hold my breath!!

Nettleman

Nothing wrong with the UK market, it has a lower route to market cost as its close proximity. Problem is that farmer wasn't being given a fair return, and it will be exact same in us.

rangler1

Nettleman wrote: »

Nothing wrong with the UK market, it has a lower route to market cost as its close proximity. Problem is that farmer wasn't being given a fair return, and it will be exact same in us.

Unfortunately no one seems to have noticed that the European market is now open to American beef too.

J DEERE

Crossakiel wrote: »

ABP have just announced a deal worth 15 million per year starting in March http://www.agriland.ie/news/larry-goodmans-abp-group-announces-us-deal-irish-beef/

Just heard Simon Coveney on the Radio, seemed to think that Board Bia could use the Irish Card to get all the Irish eating Irish Beef in the states, with little marketing. Wouldnt hold my breath!!

It will all boil down to cost really. How much per lb will it cost after slaughter and shipping? The Irish won't be that nostalgic if their beef will cost double what the next best thing will. Bear in mind the U.S. has grass fed beef too even if it is a small market there

J DEERE

Has there been any info given regarding specs required? Will contracts be given out to supply ABP.? I can't see this overly benefitting the irish farmer much

Nettleman

J DEERE wrote: »

Has there been any info given regarding specs required? Will contracts be given out to supply ABP.? I can't see this overly benefitting the irish farmer much

we still don't know the specs or breeds for the uk market never mind anything else. !!!

Cavanjack

I hope they send over better beef than I have eaten in the last couple of weeks. Tough roasts and steaks from a supermarket that does 33% promotions. Lived in the US for a while and never ate a bad bit of beef.

Crossakiel

I think that any new market that we can get into that will reduce our over reliance on the UK market is a positive. I cant see the factories claiming that the US spec is the same as the UK spec, if the US is tolerant of hormoned beef.

Also, if the Chinese market was to open up to Irish beef, suddenly there would be much more capacity to deal with the over supply issues we have had to deal with last year and which is going to occur again in the next 24 months when the additional cattle come out of the dairy herd.

We are the largest exporter of beef in Europe, all new markets should be welcomed!!

Nettleman

Crossakiel wrote: »

I think that any new market that we can get into that will reduce our over reliance on the UK market is a positive. I cant see the factories claiming that the US spec is the same as the UK spec, if the US is tolerant of hormoned beef.

Also, if the Chinese market was to open up to Irish beef, suddenly there would be much more capacity to deal with the over supply issues we have had to deal with last year and which is going to occur again in the next 24 months when the additional cattle come out of the dairy herd.

We are the largest exporter of beef in Europe, all new markets should be welcomed!!

if "We" (who ever than means) got their arses in gear and had 5 boats a week leaving Ireland with dairy calves, we mightn't have another supply based crisis again in 2017. Not all new markets are good, only ones which offer a higher net price than existing ones. Only 2 plants approved anyway, don't come with your good news stories, until you have it all in place. folks were on the RTE Morning Ireland first day of January raving about this. By don't let good economics get in the way of a good news story for the "headline seekers". :rolleyes:

blue5000

As rangler has said, trade deals are usually a two way street, I wonder what's the catch with this?

Are we/EU going to be importing beef from Brazil in the not too distant future? Simon will say, well we export beef to USA so it's only right and fair that we import some SA beef too, next he'll have us importing milk powder from China:(

Crossakiel

Nettleman wrote: »

if "We" (who ever than means) got their arses in gear and had 5 boats a week leaving Ireland with dairy calves, we mightn't have another supply based crisis again in 2017. Not all new markets are good, only ones which offer a higher net price than existing ones. Only 2 plants approved anyway, don't come with your good news stories, until you have it all in place. folks were on the RTE Morning Ireland first day of January raving about this. By don't let good economics get in the way of a good news story for the "headline seekers". :rolleyes:

"We" refers to Beef farmers in Ireland.

You must be living in a dream world if you think that all the male dairy calves in Ireland are going to be exported, it will never happen.

Nettleman

Crossakiel wrote: »

"We" refers to Beef farmers in Ireland.

You must be living in a dream world if you think that all the male dairy calves in Ireland are going to be exported, it will never happen.

BB are responsible for marketing irish produce abroad (including live cattle), but they don't focus on live trade exports which would help deliver better farm gate prices to farmer. They seem to concentrate on acting as the marketing department for beef factories instead. This strategy is part of the reason farmers don't get a fair return from export markets, and if live trade was promoted and encouraged, it would be better use of resources imo. In fact, it should be pushed hard this year of all years, but it wont be. that's reality not dreamland.

conor t

The only way farmers will see any benefit to prices is if supply tightens, otherwise the factories still have to offload meat to lower priced markets and be guaranteed a strong supply

Base price

Nettleman wrote: »

if "We" (who ever than means) got their arses in gear and had 5 boats a week leaving Ireland with dairy calves, we mightn't have another supply based crisis again in 2017. Not all new markets are good, only ones which offer a higher net price than existing ones. Only 2 plants approved anyway, don't come with your good news stories, until you have it all in place. folks were on the RTE Morning Ireland first day of January raving about this. By don't let good economics get in the way of a good news story for the "headline seekers". :rolleyes:

The calf exports are there in place and have been for years but like 2012 they are not prepared to compete with farmers on price and I don't blame them. There is also some effect due to some dairy farmers been over quota and holding calves to drink milk. IMO a FR bull calf is only worth €80 max and that would be for a 15-21 day old good shapely one. However it is a sellers market at the moment as farmers seem to be panic buying, which for the life of me I cannot understand considering the bolloxollogy that we had with the factories last year.

http://www.bordbia.ie/industry/manufacturers/insight/alerts/Pages/Liveexports25lowerin2012.aspx?year=2013&wk=3

kowtow

Interesting, reading the article on agriland and despite all our talk we actually don't meet the strict US criteria for "grass fed" beef. Grass fed beef in America requires that animals are raised exclusively on grass & grass based forage, unlike ours which receive ration when indoors.

According to the bord bia rep in the US Ireland is trying to get a special "Irish grass fed" definition done in the US, which recognises that we have to feed nuts in the winter for welfare reasons.

Of course, the real reason we feed nuts in the winter is the price of Irish land, but let's hope the American farmers don't point that out.

coolshannagh28

Cavanjack wrote: »

I hope they send over better beef than I have eaten in the last couple of weeks. Tough roasts and steaks from a supermarket that does 33% promotions. Lived in the US for a while and never ate a bad bit of beef.

Agree lived there too and the beef is top notch mainly AA and Hereford and extremely tasty hormones and all ,debatable if we can compete on taste ,quality or price when export costs are figured in

dh1985

coolshannagh28 wrote: »

Agree lived there too and the beef is top notch mainly AA and Hereford and extremely tasty hormones and all ,debatable if we can compete on taste ,quality or price when export costs are figured in

I am in the states the last few months and I find the steak awful fatty. They do it nicely on the BBQ alright but I still started buying organic stuff just to avoid the lumps of fat

severeoversteer

Crossakiel wrote: »

ABP have just announced a deal worth 15 million per year starting in March http://www.agriland.ie/news/larry-goodmans-abp-group-announces-us-deal-irish-beef/

Just heard Simon Coveney on the Radio, seemed to think that Board Bia could use the Irish Card to get all the Irish eating Irish Beef in the states, with little marketing. Wouldnt hold my breath!!

sure 15 million is nothing
take a animal carcase at€1450
two days kill for the country and that would be the value of it

15ml / 1450 = 10,000cattle

Crossakiel

And the meat industry perspective!!!
http://www.agriland.ie/news/meat-industry-not-getting-enough-credit-delivering-higher-prices-abp-boss/

There is a good article in the Journal on the USA market, but it is subscription to read.

Nettleman

Crossakiel wrote: »

"We" refers to Beef farmers in Ireland.

You must be living in a dream world if you think that all the male dairy calves in Ireland are going to be exported, it will never happen.

At least one farm organisation is talking sense
http://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/news/icsa-reduce-sucklers-or-export-dairy-bull-calves-311731.html

Kielacross

Jeepers Crossakiel you must hav shares in that site Your a one man PR machine for them!

Kovu

Kielacross, meet Crossakiel.

Crossakiel, meet Kielacross.

:pac:

Crossakiel

Its a brilliant site, its where I get all my farming news.

Kielacross

Crossakiel wrote: »

Its a brilliant site, its where I get all my farming news.

Self praise is no praise!

Crossakiel

Why would I need praise? This is your 4th post and they are all to me????

Farmer Pudsey

Nettleman wrote: »

if "We" (who ever than means) got their arses in gear and had 5 boats a week leaving Ireland with dairy calves, we mightn't have another supply based crisis again in 2017. Not all new markets are good, only ones which offer a higher net price than existing ones. Only 2 plants approved anyway, don't come with your good news stories, until you have it all in place. folks were on the RTE Morning Ireland first day of January raving about this. By don't let good economics get in the way of a good news story for the "headline seekers". :rolleyes:

One mans medicine is another mans poision. Why can we not get rid of the suckler calves and the f@@king cows as well. Export the whole lot of them and it would sort the beef issue for next 10 years.

Base price wrote: »

The calf exports are there in place and have been for years but like 2012 they are not prepared to compete with farmers on price and I don't blame them. There is also some effect due to some dairy farmers been over quota and holding calves to drink milk. IMO a FR bull calf is only worth €80 max and that would be for a 15-21 day old good shapely one. However it is a sellers market at the moment as farmers seem to be panic buying, which for the life of me I cannot understand considering the bolloxollogy that we had with the factories last year.

http://www.bordbia.ie/industry/manufacturers/insight/alerts/Pages/Liveexports25lowerin2012.aspx?year=2013&wk=3

This is the issue lads paying too much for dairy bred calves. They are playing into Larry's hands and subsidising the most profitable farming system in the country.

Nettleman wrote: »

At least one farm organisation is talking sense
http://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/news/icsa-reduce-sucklers-or-export-dairy-bull-calves-311731.html

I hope you read all the article where they stated that most calves because of empty rates are costing 800 euro. In reality none of these kind of calves can leave a profit even if every a adequate amount of dairy bred calves were exported. I think it reenforces my point in first post.