Further protests planned against falling beef prices

Farmers For Action are planning further protests as part of their major campaign against falling beef prices.

The farm lobby group targeted ABP’s Shrewsbury meat processing plant earlier this month amid unconfirmed claims that company had been processing Polish beef in the abattoir.

ABP admitted two small consignments of Polish beef had been delivered to the factory in the past two months for “specified markets”, which were not mainstream supermarkets it supplies.

But the company denied that the plant had been processing beef on a regular basis and said it had now stopped handling any Polish meat in the factory.

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On the night of the protest, FFA chief executive David Handley described talks with ABP bosses as “constructive” .

Mr Handley told Farmers Weekly on Wednesday (18 June) that he had been disappointed with ABP’s response since then, adding that they had not yet fulfilled promises to reveal extensive documentation on beef supplies.

“We gave them (ABP) an opportunity to open up about their beef supplies, which is what they said they would do – but so far they have failed to do so,” said Mr Handley.

“They were going to reveal documentation in relation to imported prices as well as discuss further issues, including how we progress the price situation for domestic beef producers. All of a sudden, that has come to a stop.”

He added: “If we don’t receive this information, I’m afraid there is only one alternative – to go back again in the form of a protest.”

Meanwhile, Mr Handley said the FFA was targeting another large beef processor, which it suspects of handling large amounts of Irish and other foreign beef and suppressing prices for British beef producers.

A fresh protest could be launched within the week, he added. “Since we held the protest at ABP, more support has been coming in and there will be greater noise.”

There was more bad news for beef farmers this week after the latest figures from Eblex, an organisation for beef and lamb levy payers in England, showed the margin between retail and farmgate prices had widened.

Data for May showed British farmers received only 47% share of the final retail price – meaning the producer’s share is at the lowest point since the end of 2010.

At the peak in May last year, producers were receiving nearly 60% of the retail share.