William Aird Confronts Witnesses Over Brazilian Beef Imports
William Aird challenges witnesses in a parliamentary hearing over contradictory testimony about Brazilian beef imports and the state of national cold storage. He presses on why cattle prices have fallen, quoting market demand and import figures as central to the debate.
Key exchange
William Aird opens by thanking witnesses Philip, Dave and Celia and immediately confronts them about earlier testimony. He contrasts a recent claim that Brazilian beef was brought in as a buffer with the current statement that every cold storage in the country is full.
Market explanation
Witnesses argued that falling cattle prices reflect a broader market decline across European and UK markets. Aird disputes the notion that full cold storage alone explains price drops, and pushes the point that the root cause identified by witnesses is reduced demand at appropriate prices.
Import figures and contradiction
Aird highlights a specific import figure cited during the session: 174 tonnes of Brazilian beef were imported into the country, a point he uses to question witness consistency. He presses for clarity as the exchange underscores tensions between official testimony and farmers' experiences.
Impact on farmers
Throughout the exchange Aird flags the frustration of Irish farmers who are 'gobsmacked' by conflicting explanations. The session closes with Aird moving the discussion on to the next Deputy, noting the urgency and continued concern in the sector.
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I just want to thank Philip and Dave and Celia for coming here today. I just want to say to you, you came in as witnesses, and only a couple of weeks ago we had witnesses in here as well, alright? And you couldn't write the book. They were telling us they had to bring in Brazilian beef to buffer in case we ran out of Irish beef. And you're here today telling us that every cold storage in the country is full! And that's why we're dropping the price of beef and that's what's depressing it because we can't sell it and the cold storage is full. Like, Chairman, you couldn't write the book, could you? No wonder the Irish farmers are so frustrated out there. Absolutely, they're gobsmacked at what they're hearing here today. That was my question. Can I just answer the question? Because that's not the reason why the cattle prices have reduced. No, Deputy, it isn't. That is not. That completely ignores everything we have said here today about how a market across the globe, across the European and UK markets, have declined substantially and quickly. And that's the reason why. The reason why the cold stores are full is because there's no demand in the market at the moment at an appropriate price. But we're bringing in Brazilian beef to pump the market. We did bring it in. You're the witness, we're telling it to you. I need to move on to the next. Deputy, the truth of the matter is 174 tonnes of Brazilian beef was imported into this country. It's not one day's production. It's not one day's production. I need to move on to Deputy Newsom. Deputy, we agreed for a quick agreement. To be fair now, I've given you additional time on it. And we need to move to Deputy Newsom.
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