With age comes acceptance. I now work to the serenity prayer
"O God, give us the serenity to accept what cannot be changed, the courage to change what can be changed, and the wisdom to know the one from the other."
The courage is not gone. However until we get real change on the regulation and competition side.
Another contributor here has posted about me on another forum here and I quote:
"Don’t argue with this poster as you can’t win or make sense at times, over on the farming forum there is only one way let it fly by as being an expert is a specialty".
In general zI do not take what happens here to another forum or bring what happens there back here. There was one exception and that was to do with property
He was one of the experts that taught we would never see a poor day again and we be getting 10/kg now.
One of the easiest push backs to the processors and societies would be to insist on a 20c/kg minimum bonus on AA/HE and SH or any other breed. If it was not paid cattle go in as ordinary beef. No selling of AA, HE, SH or any other bonus cattle through marts.
Watch them suffer then, along with the socities if enough lads did it, especially May going into June. No accepting of flat pricess either. It would take the summer but it would hit them.and retailers hard
But how many would actually be willing to do it.
There was a contributor on here that I was close to. He got killed in a farm accident this time last year. The reason for farming accidents is its a low margin business. We do things that we shouldn't have to do to keep our business going. I am f@@ked if I am going to be killed by a suckler cow. I had a close one with a rig years ago. With Willfarmer it was from a shed roof he should not have had to be on.
ar dheis de go raibh a anam
All that's fine Bass and admirable. I get what your saying re acceptance but from a serious beef producing nation to one who is getting s^<>t on by the very processors who we made, we simply can't take it lying down or we will end up like the sheep industry.
Remember Irish tax payers effectively bailed out one of them. We built their wealth, they effectively control Europe wide production. We are facing 5.50 next Autumn and if that kicks in, its curtains for sucklers and non sucklers. Now nobody owes nobody in life but to be p_##÷ed on is sacrilege.
Their new business model is now, if we can't beat them join them. Irish beef is too expense so let's get on the train that's running fast, the non compliant low cost countries and take their s%^<t beef and make a killing.
Bord Bia must be boycotted at all costs or we are at nothing, as I said before where did the pgi status ever take us on the world stage. Barons hate questioning providence, because it hurts and why should we give a dam about providence when we are working for nothing anyway. Why should we give a dam about providence when their is nothing in it for us anyway. Where did providence come into the equation in the beef tribunal or the horse meat scandal. It meant sweat f/"^k all.
Btw i never invised 10e a kg but I did expect a decent return or a steady and stimulated and balanced reduction of pricing.
The mountain sheep producers will be grand......well for the next 5-10 years anyway. They have discovered organics.…and as long as the government funds them they will eat the cherry. When you can collect 300/ HA up to 70 HA and 60/ HA after that along with your SFP…WGAF
There lies the issue, I don't want hand outs only the factories gulf if up. The quarries, steel guys take the tams etc. That model is over imo. What happened around the beef protests, government gave 100e per head (ah keep johnny farmer happy) and it meant the barons could continue give 3.60 pet kg for beef horsing ( excuse the pun) around Europe and making huge profits. The government and farmers can't be feeding the tiger because the tiger isn't repaying, its eating all around.
Supervalu had fillet steaks at 50.99 a kg before this weekend (that's some killing in any man's calculations) so for the easter "offer" some baron decided to give them a loyalty bonus and now the offering is 34.16 per kg ... I think this game needs serous examination.
Anyone know of steer price for next week ?
€6.70 I believe.
Yeah I know factories that are 6.70 for today but sounded out about 6.60 for next week yesterday to see the reaction and I'm wondering have lads got them to stay at 6.70 as I'm hearing they need everything they can get
Uk price no change for next week
Factories don't care about the farmer. I wouldn't be surprised if we be back closer to the 6 in a few months and it won't stop there either.
Anyone at the meeting in Athy last night?
I believe the mood was somber .....
I was supposed to go but git delayed and it got too late.
Never heard of it, details?
The rag was getting together stakeholders in the beef industry and discussion about price forecasts and direction.
Under pressure with off farm job only for that i would have attended.
Got a call from Larrys Agent today...€8 flat offered for 20 HEX fat R- type heifers under 30months...Midlands...
I told him i would think about it....
The good times are back if even only for a hour or two more
If only. Good AF
6.60 base offered for steers next week 🤮
Now thats the real playing us for fools...
Sickening.
is that back another 10cent from this week? Are you going to take it?
This weeks 6.60 is the same price as last week. So, hopefully this is the floor reached now.
This week last year saw the price rise by 30 cent! And another 20 cent increase in the second week of April 2025 to a base of 7.8 was the peak price reached last year. The highest actual price I seen or heard of was mentioned on this thread of 8.40 for R Grade AA Heifers.
I wonder will the weather effect beef supply from late May to mid July. Hard to see cattle coming off grass in any numbers before end of June. Personally we are a month behind. Ground conditios are worse now that late February start of March around here. Cannot see us being able to feed at grassfor another 3 weeks at least. Ground conditions will just not allow it.
Ya weather a right balls at the moment and throw in the war into the mix it's very uncertain times. Spring tillage and veg growers up in the air also. If it continues much longer then some will just leave land fallow for the year. What way are beef prices this week. The were €6.70 to €6.80 last week to the ordinary fellow.
After being caught somewhat off-guard last year, the factories now have complete control again, as you've said previously. They can take or leave supermarkets orders now and work 3-day weeks to manage thru-put.
ABP Waterford announced a "consultation process" re 250 workers in Feb. The reality was those lads got 6 weeks' notice and they left the building last week. I was talking to a vet who does Dept inspections there. She was wondering why the car park was so empty compared to the week before.
In my crystal ball, supply will be lower but factories won't increase price. Hopefully it'll trickle along as it seems to be doing at the moment.
so they’re doing 3 day weeks and let go 250 people so they can kill less and keep to price down? Are they trying to teach the supermarkets a lesson too or what by keeping a lid on supply or is the shortfall just being made up by sh*t from Brazil
Factories hav some sort of contracts in place. Supermarkets are not doing supy day to day. Sime contracts may have been dropped but some are in.place.
I wouldn't be expecting miricles. Maybe a base that creeped up to 7/kg. It would mean HE/AA at 7.2/7.3, plainer type Continentals 7.1/7.2 and my friesian heifers 6.7/6.8 for those I get out in that 6—8 week period. It would also mean 6.5-6.7 might be the floor to mid September.
Small things would make me happy
That would be a good outcome. Unfortunately lads will still loose out after giving big money for stores last autumn hoping for €8/kg + now.
I put 10 heifers in a pen together yesterday, 550 to 600 kgs going to feed them in the shed they were out for a week but can't see the ground being good enough to feed them outside for a few weeks, no point in chasing grass that isn't there
Wee lift in prices in some factories, agent here rang looking for cattle, dealt with him now 7.10 flat, 2 under 24 month bulls and a pen over over 30 month heifers including an older Cow. Meath area
