Prices for Irish beef cattle due for consumption on the home market fell again yesterday, adding further woes to farmers already hit by the BSE crisis.
Prices offered were significantly below those under the EU's Slaughter for Destruction Scheme at 90p per lb.
There was more bad news of the commercial beef market when it emerged that no beef has been exported to Indonesia for the past three weeks.
While the Department of Agriculture said it had no confirmation that the market was closed, the Irish Meat Association said no beef had been sent there for the past three weeks. Other industry sources said the market was "on ice".
Indonesia had been one of the Republic's newest markets and took 1,200 tonnes in 1998 and 6,700 tonnes last year. With the closure of Saudi Arabia, it became our largest non-EU market since the BSE crisis.
The only non-EU countries taking Irish beef are South Africa and Russia and these are taking only limited amounts. In the EU, consumption has fallen by up to 30 per cent in our best markets, Italy and France.
However, the main problem in the EU is dumping of German beef at 30p per lb less than Irish beef. This has meant that there is very little outlet for Irish beef on mainland Europe.
The shrinking of the commercial market has been mirrored in the growth of the Slaughter for Destruction Scheme which since January 10th has processed and destroyed more than 45,000 animals.
A Department of Agriculture spokesman said it was expected that 17 of the 18 plants designated to carry out the destruction scheme would be operating today. "We expect that the capacity of the Slaughter for Destruction Scheme will increase to around 20,000 animals this week in an effort to remove surplus animals from the market."
Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association president Mr Pat O'Rourke has complained that farmers in the south and south-west are having difficulty getting their animals slaughtered. He said farmers who sold animals exclusively to plants not taking part in the scheme now found themselves unable to get their animals slaughtered.
The only plant in the State licensed to render specified risk material (SRM) was in full operation yesterday but SRM continues to mount up at meat plants where it is being blast frozen pending rendering.
There were reports yesterday that the Northern Ireland authorities may be asked to help out with the rendering of SRM as it has surplus capacity.
Meanwhile, the Irish Farmers' Association called for intervention support for cattle under 30 months and said cheap German beef was destroying the EU markets.