'Beef farmers have to take control of their own market'

'Supermac' Pat McDonagh offers nuggets of advice at Irish Beef Producers meeting

[davidkinlon]

So refreshing to hear a knowledgeable unbiased view, please sit down Pat with Messer's Goodman, Queally, Keating and the rest of the unscrupulous beef barrons who have taken the industry to the abyss with the help of weak, cowardly farm organisations and successive governments who have sat back and allowed this to deteriorate to a something unthinkable. We have the best primary producers, the best regulated production system, the best climate in the world for producing top quality Irish beef, it's soul destroying to see what is happening. Pat is right the Sugar beet industry is a template of things to come for the beef sector. But don't worry the beef factories will remain if farmers give up production unlike the sugar factories as they are well insulated to such an occurrence, they will increase their South American deboning, labelling as Irish practice and increase there feedlot scale of operating. Look at how they've behaved after the blockades, they don't give a damn about the Irish farm families.

[philipmcveigh]

Pat McDonagh one sound man, pity he or boys like him are not politics in this country, not looking for their own personal gain like most of our current crop. Whether its insurance or farming he talks more sense than most of our bluffer's in Leinster house. Keep it up Pat for rural Ireland.

[johnmccasthy]

Fair play to pat mc donagh .maybe he might step in and start up meat processing plant hes right farmers should take it all the way to europe this government are in line with the beef tycoons its a total disgrace

[rodeo]

It's a pity the farmers split . The beefplan took on the big boys and brought it to the table but was swallowed in the end because they split