Supermarkets are going to have to give a price increase to beef farmers.
So says Monaghan Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) beef chairman Michael Flood who recently told Shannonside Northernsound that the price of meal, fertiliser and energy was pushing up the cost of production for farmers.
He said the price hikes were placing "severe pressure" on the sector and a 'level playing field' was needed.
Therefore, he added, the time has come for supermarkets to "step up to the plate" and share a piece of their margin with the farmer.
The local IFA chair also advised beef farmers to bargain hard because the cost of keeping animals has "increased greatly".
Mr Flood's calls, meanwhile, come as pig and poultry farmers meet with Dunnes Stores to discuss better prices for their produce following a 30-hour protest outside stores in Monaghan and Cork earlier this week.
