Prospects for Organic Meat in Challenging Times

Presented by John Brennan

Coop Role

To provide market outlets for its members produce

Provision of Education and Training Opportunities .

Encourage members to avail of opportunities to improve their incomes.

Lobby for its members through all available means

Organic Beef Market

Much more competitive marketplace. Weakness of sterling making it difficult to

maintain prices to farmer. Premium to farmer still at 30% over the

conventional People selling directly getting more for

their product Huge opportunity in rare breed beef

directly marketed.

1.00 EUR = 0.916178 GBP

Euro  

United Kingdom Pounds

1 EUR = 0.916178 GBP 

1 GBP = 1.09149 EUR

Coop Outlets

Beef Contract in place since 2006 Main Customer M&S Ireland Other wholesale and Food Service

Business. Committed to working with Slaney

Foods to expand the market. Initiated mobile butcher concept in

North West of Ireland

Beef Prices

€3.90 - €4 generally quoted Flat rate all grades except P’s 15-20 cattle per week Price based on cattle collected ex

yard. Strong commitment to work to bring

that figure to 20/week (and beyond).

Organic Lamb

Market Conditions Difficult Producer sentiment poor. Seasonality problem Lack of any market outside of Ireland Poor differentiation of organic product Irish Organic Market about 11,000

lambs (Scotland 100,000)

Coop Role

Liaise with Linden Foods to supply M&S on seasonal basis.

Also liaise with ICM and butchers. Commenced matching store

producers with finishers. Encourage more producers to

market their product directly

Issues

Consumption of lamb down across Europe No export markets-reliance totally on

home market. Supermarkets taking an unrealistic

margin on organic lamb. Cost of feed Essential for a minimum base price be set

for hoggets to ensure continuity of supply. Sheep essential for rotations and as

pasture improver on organic farms.

Do you have any other comments about the organic lamb market ?

“ Non Existent”

“Distance to processor an issue”

“Prices not sufficient to make increasing flock numbers a viable financially rewarding proposition”

“ No outlet for small producer in Cork”

“Demand dropping each year”

“ Over the past 10 years the butchers sale of organic lamb has reduced by 40%. The consumer is not keen on lamb even organic lamb. Ihave reduced my flock size accordingly, as organic beef is far more popular”

“There isn't an organic lamb market to my knowledge”

What can be done?

The product needs more promotion but how does this fit with Bord Bia needing to promote conventional lamb?

More inroads required for the product in the home market

Direct marketing initiatives required. Leitrim Organic Farmers Coop will begin

selling online in May. Supermarket taking a 50% margin cannot

be sustained.

Is the future in Organic Fish?!