Farmer's confidence in Bord Bia will only be restored with new chairperson
Kenneth Fox
Farmer's confidence in Bord Bia will only be restored with a new chairperson in place.
That is the warning from the IFA, after the majority of board members and the Minister for Agriculture expressed their confidence in Larry Murrin on Thursday.
The chief executive of Dawn Farm Foods had been facing pressure to resign after it emerged the company imported a small percentage of Brazilian beef last year.
Mr. Murrin said the nature of supply contracts means contingencies must be in place in the event of supply disruption in Ireland.
President of the Irish Farmers' Association, Francie Gorman, does not accept that explanation.
"I think it is a lame excuse, and I think the statement from the Minister was premature.
"On the ground, this has caught the attention of farmers hugely. The extra asks they have to do at the farm level, and then the chair is bringing in beef from Brazil."
He said that while there is nothing illegal about it is still not right to do it.
It comes as Bord Bia met to discuss Mr Murrin’s position on Thursday after it emerged that Dawn Farm Foods, where he holds a senior position, had sourced Brazilian beef for the Irish market.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) representatives on the board called for his resignation over claims of a conflict of interest, given Bord Bia’s responsibility for promoting Irish food and enforcing standards on Irish beef that they do not believe are met by Brazilian farms.
However, Mr Murrin is set to remain in his post after their calls were not supported by a consensus at the board meeting.
The issue is particularly sensitive as the European Commission seeks to progress the Mercosur trade deal with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Irish farmers are concerned their beef exports to Europe would be at risk because of cheaper Brazilian beef entering the market.
Bord Bia chief executive officer Jim O’Toole said there had been a “full, open and considered” discussion about Mr Murrin’s position as chairman, which he has held since 2024.
Outlining the non-unanimous expression of support in Mr Murrin, he said: “The board was guided by the need to protect the reputation of Bord Bia, Ireland’s agri-food sector and its clients over the longer term, and concluded that supporting the chairman was in the best interests of the organisation and the sector as a whole, including Irish farmers.”
Mr O’Toole said a report on the meeting and “associated issues” will be provided to Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon, who has also expressed support for the chairman, “as he has broken no rules”.
