Full coverage: Beef

As his office prepares to take on sweeping new responsibilities, Ireland’s top competition law enforcer Brian McHugh discusses Brexit, EU-wide efforts to regulate tech multinationals and the CCPC’s reluctance to tackle beef barons.

Just one year ago, meat factories now at the centre of Covid-19 outbreaks were facing another storm, with pickets at their gates. Complaints gave rise to an examination of competition in the sector, but a trawl of the 316 files in the case shows that while the CCPC found time to threaten protesting farmers with legal action, the watchdog stopped short of contacting beef barons.

Live streams, smartphone bids and USB gavels became features of livestock sales as soon as the Covid-19 lockdown closed marts to the public. Technology providers are vying for this business, which appears to be here to stay.

As Supermac’s joins McDonald’s in shutting up shop for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ireland’s beef industry is losing two major customers. But the real worry comes from expensive cuts piling up in cold stores.

The ongoing price crisis in the beef sector has highlighted the need for alternative export markets. Beijing-based Ian Lahiffe warns against the expectation that growing Chinese imports alone will save the day.

Ag-tech entrepreneur Aidan Connolly looks to the Irish start-up scene for answers to the questions facing cattle farming and beef processing.

The farmers who picketed meat factories have a legitimate expectation to break even, but the beef sector is unlikely to achieve this without a clear change in direction.