According to an analysis by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Breeders Association (ICSA), beef producers lose about 3.7 million euros per week on cattle compared to the period before Brexit.
Although the UK has not yet officially left the European Union, and the conditions for her departure - whether it is a “soft exit” or a “hard exit” - remain unclear, ICSA Secretary General Eddie Punch said Brexit “has already happened” for Irish beef producers.
“Roughly speaking, we looked at the average price in 2019 and compared it with the price in 2015, a year before the British Brexit referendum.” As for premium beef, this year they get about 3.66 euro / kg for bulls compared to 4.10 euro / kg in 2015.For heifers receive 3.79 euros / kg in 2019 against 4.15 euros / kg in 2015; and for young bulls they give 3.57 euro / kg against 4.00 euro / kg in 2015, ”said Eddie Punch. If the movement continues in the same vein, then in 2019, Irish beef producers will receive less than 200 million euros.
In light of these dismal figures, the ICSA representative emphasizes that the EU emergency support package for Ireland, the details of which are still not known to the government, should focus on “getting money from those who have already suffered.”