Approximately 75 per cent of Waterford’s beef cattle farmers are selling their steers ‘at or just around’ the absolute base price, with another 10 per cent of sold cattle gaining less than six cents per kilogram.
Breaking down the aforementioned 75 per cent figure further, just 53 per cent of that tally “are getting less than the base price with only 22 per cent getting the base price”.
These alarming findings have been revealed this week by the ICMSA based on figures made available to it from the Department of Agriculture in relation to the April to November 2010 cattle kill.
So in reality, just over one sixth of farmers are achieving the base price – and they’re considered the luckier ones.
