A claim by the country's largest beef processor, Mr Larry Goodman, that politicians were looking for "a quick fix" and there was no future for young, beef farmers was rejected yesterday by the Minister of State for Agriculture.
Mr Noel Davern rejected Mr Goodman's statement, adding: "Why is he spending so much money doing up his plants if he is that bothered?"
Mr Goodman, attending the championships, said the real problem facing the beef industry was its unpredictability because farmers buying cattle did not know what they would get for them the following year. The beef industry was "heading for disaster" unless farmers, processors and the Government got together to draw up a long-term plan.
He said there was a strange situation where on the one hand Brussels was attempting to open markets closed to it while on the other cutting export refunds on beef by up to 21p per lb.
Mr Davern dismissed Mr Goodman's statements and said he was confident there was a future, not only in beef farming, but in farming in general.