Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 16 April 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Future of the Beef Sector: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Hugh Doyle:

I will be quick. A member asked for a comment on the Glanbia-Kepak Twenty20 Beef Club. Even though the Kepak Twenty20 contract is a good idea because it talks about the retailer, back to the processor and back to the primary producer, it is our opinion, which is backed up by Teagasc and figures that were released two weeks ago, that the dairy-cross animal is 50% less efficient than its continental counterpart. Reference was made to the figure earlier as being 30%. If we are talking about the environment, the carbon footprint and sustainability, that has to be taken into consideration.