THE FIRST DAY of talks between beef farmers and the meat industry concluded late last night after more than 12 hours of discussions. 

Further talks are expected within the next two weeks.

The talks, which took place at the Department of Agriculture’s Backweston offices in Kildare, come after weeks of protests from the Beef Plan Movement at sites across the country. The group has been set up by farmers who argue that they’re not getting value for money for their cattle. 

President of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) Joe Healy said that “some progress” had been made on the issues of market transparency and the introduction of a price index. 

The association said that there had been a commitment to look at the market specifications that impact on prices in the Quality Payment System, known as the beef grid.

Protests will be suspended while the talks take place, with the next date for discussions planned for Thursday or Monday next.  

The IFA had called for retailers and the European Commission to join the talks, which were announced late last Friday by agriculture minister Michael Creed.  

In a statement this morning Creed urged all parties engaged in talks to maintain”continued constructive dialogue” in the coming days.