Huge numbers set for local beef summit meeting

Some 1,200 people are expected to attend the Irish Farmers Journal's beef summit in the Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe, on Thursday next.

The Irish Farmers Journal’s Beef Summit brings together Ireland’s beef industry leaders to provide farmers with answers at a time when the future of the Irish suckler beef industry is at a critical juncture. Many farmers are questioning the viability of suckler systems and some are looking at alternative options of farming.

Leaving aside the threat of Brexit, rising costs, depressed market prices and uncertainty around future CAP payments and where the sector fits into the Government’s climate action plan are all contributing factors to suckler farmers questioning their future in beef production.

The beef summit is a unique opportunity for farmers to question the people in power and get the facts in order to make informed decisions about their future in the sector. The event is being held in the Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe, on Thursday, May 9, at 7pm. All farmers and people involved in the beef industry are welcome to attend. Attendance is free of charge, however the event is fast approaching full capacity with limited spaces left. Anyone who wishes to attend the summit needs to register at www.farmersjournal.ie/beefsummit 

The format of the event is a question and answer session with each speaker getting a short time to present their topic followed by a panel question and answer session with questions coming from those attending the event. The event starts at 7pm and will close at 10pm.

There are a number of high profile speakers at the event including: Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed: My vision for the Irish Beef Industry; Secretary General at the Department of Agriculture, Brendan Gleeson: Suckler beef: Our plan for the future; Bord Bia CEO, Tara McCarthy: Our marketing strategy for Irish beef; Cormac Healy, Meat Industry Ireland: Irish beef – A premium or commodity product; Gerry Boyle, Director, Teagasc: Teagasc Beef Research: Answering tomorrows questions?; Michael Wallace, Professor of Economics, UCD: The role of the suckler cow in the Irish economy; Andrew Cromie, Technical Director, ICBF: The Irish suckler cow in 2030, what will she look like?; Liam McHale, Director of European Affairs, IFA: How the next CAP can support the suckler cow; Phelim O'Neill, Irish Farmers Journal: Understanding our industry – Farm to fork