Stark warnings were issued today (Wednesday 27 May) that the UK beef market has transformed dramatically, undermining Ireland’s once-dominant position as a supplier of almost 80% of all UK beef imports.
Ireland’s share of the UK market will fall to 67% in 2025, Philip Carroll, chair of the Meat Industry Irish (MII), the sector association representing primary beef, pork and lamb processors, confirmed today.
Carroll told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food that Ireland was “more vulnerable” to low-cost products coming into the UK market.
The UK’s post-Brexit free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand – coupled with a rise in Brazilian imports – have significantly changed the landscape for Irish beef exports.
“Australian beef imports into the UK have risen by more than 400%, providing a much lower cost alternative to grass-fed Irish beef,” Carroll said.
“There is not much scope for us to extract ourselves from this market, and we cannot diversify into greener areas where there are none.”
He also stressed that in relation to the UK market, the value of exports rose by 25% to €1.6 billion last year – representing 47% of the total market value, despite the decline in UK beef imports.
However, according to the MII boss, as UK retail prices rose last year, demand in turn fell – volumes fell by 7.2% towards the end of the year according to Carroll.
“Rising prices have effectively halted demand for beef across retail and food services.
“At the same time, imported beef from Australia, New Zealand and Brazil gained market share,” he added.
According to the head of the MII in relation to the UK, the beef industry “is facing a carcass imbalance due to consumer behaviour”.
Beef exports
Committee members were told today that the Irish beef sector is export-driven, with 90% of production sold on international markets.
According to the head of the MII, total exports last year rose to 3.5 billion euros – 23% more than in 2024, although volumes were 40 thousand tons lower than the average of the previous decade.
The increase was driven by “short-term inflationary market conditions,” Carroll said.
He explained that exports to EU markets rose by 28%, saving another €1.6 billion last year with greater demand for beef, mince and beef processing, while higher value primary cuts declined.
However, exports to other international markets fell to €135 million, with Carroll saying “buyers are focusing on sourcing closer to home.”
“This reflects the widening price gap between Ireland and the EU compared to international suppliers,” he added.
Philip Carroll, Chairman of MII Source: Oireachtas.ie
Committee members expressed concerns to MII president and director Dale Cramond and Seeley Sweeney, the industry group’s chief executive officer, about livestock mortality numbers and the prices charged by farmers.
Carroll told senators and lawmakers that farmers “deserve fair compensation” and that this is “reflected in the historically strong cattle prices seen in recent years, especially in 2025.”
But he also told the committee that “beef processing is a high-volume, low-margin business.”
“When productivity drops by 19%, fixed costs per unit, including labor, energy, refrigeration, transportation and regulatory compliance, increase sharply.
“Operating a plant at 80% capacity is much less efficient and more expensive than operating it at 100%.
He added: “Despite these pressures, the composite Irish beef price closely tracks the benchmark export price. This shows that Irish cattle prices are on par with our European competitors despite the additional cost of exporting 90% of our beef production internationally.”
The MII president warned that livestock prices were now “under severe pressure from shifts in consumer spending and new aggressive trade competitors”.
