Beef Summit July 3, 2014 12:00 am The beef industry may get a voluntary Code of Practice like that already existing for he dairy sector. This was one of the main outcomes of the ‘Beef Summit’ convened by DEFRA, and attended by representatives of farmers, processors and retailers, on the 1st July. Such a Code would require notice to be provided for changes in carcass specification, and instil more transparency in pricing. The NFU will work with the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) and the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) to draw up the measures. However, no timetable for this has been set out. Retailers were pressed to provide greater differentiation between British and Irish product on shelves, but no commitment was made on this point. Other issues discussed at the summit included greater efforts to develop export markets. DEFRA has pledged to work with levy bodies on this issue. The idea of a beef futures market was raised – to provide producers with more risk management options. This was seen as a long-term project and there are no immediate plans to set such a market up.
