The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has raised further questions over the accreditation of Dawn Farms under certain Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes.
Speaking tonight at the special session of Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, IFA President Francie Gorman said that “the Irish Food and Drink website – which is curated by Bord Bia – stated that Dawn Farm Foods was accredited under the Bord Bia Meat Quality Assurance Scheme (MPQAS).
“When we queried this, it turned out that Dawn Farm Foods is not part of that scheme. The website has since been amended by Bord Bia,” Mr Gorman added.
In his opening address to the committee, the IFA President said “the appropriate Bord Bia Quality Assurance standard that would now apply to Dawn Farm Foods is the Food Processor Standard (FPS)” but “according to Bord Bia’s website, there are over 500 food and agri businesses which are members of this or similar schemes in Ireland. Dawn Farm Foods is not one of them”.
The IFA is among the farming groups that have called on Bord Bia Chair Larry Murrin to step down because the company he runs, Dawn Farms, has been importing some Brazilian beef for use in its products. They claim given Bord Bia’s role of promoting Irish food that this creates a conflict of interest for Mr Murrin.
The IFA President told the committee this was a “significant issue” and that “a lot has been made by Mr Murrin’s supporters that he has done nothing wrong.
“Since this controversy started, we have now had two instances where Dawn Farms Foods or Bord Bia have had to correct their websites to reflect the fact that the Chair’s company was not achieving certain Bord Bia standards. This is further undermining confidence in Bord Bia and Mr Murrin. These issues must be formally investigated as a matter of urgency.”
However, it’s understood the MPQAS is an old Bord Bia standard that has been replaced by the FPS and that Dawn Farms had been a member of the latter because it had a retail contract that required it.
Dawn Farms no longer has the retail contract and therefore it’s understood the FPS accreditation is no longer needed.
The Agriculture Committee was meeting to discuss the potential for loss of confidence in the Irish beef sector.
In response to questions from members, Mr Gorman said he did not know Bord Bia chair’s company had been importing Brazilian beef or poultry before the controversy started last month.
He said there has been “a lot of commentary on this issue outside the farming sector” and that the “core issue of credibility of Bord Bia has not been addressed.
“That’s what disappoints me most.”
The farming group also said there are still questions for Mr Murrin to answer, including around the total amount of Brazilian beef imported by his company and how much poultry Dawn Farms has imported from outside the EU.
The IFA President reiterated his call for dialogue to resolve the dispute but said “the issues won’t be sorted with the current chair in place”.
The IFA is scheduled to meet with other agri-food stakeholders later this week for talks on the issue that are being organised by the Department of Agriculture.
Members of the IFA are still protesting both inside and outside Bord Bia’s offices in Dublin over the dispute and say they will remain in place until Mr Murrin steps down.
In a statement posted on its website earlier, Bord Bia said it “respects the right to peaceful protest. For almost two weeks, we have facilitated the presence of protestors at our place of work and have engaged consistently in good faith to seek a resolution.
“Essential deliveries, including food and medicines, continue to be facilitated. Protestors have the option to leave at any time and have been repeatedly requested to do so.”
Protest now counterproductive – Cowen
Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen said that the protest has reached the point where it is becoming counterproductive.
Mr Cowen said he understands the strength of feeling among farmers but that the dispute is not serving their best interests.
He said that these interests are best protected through serious negotiation in Dublin and Brussels and not “through outrage cycles”.
“Policy is too important to become a political football.”
Mr Cowen said the sourcing of the beef in question was “legal, regulated and extremely limited”.
“I’m concerned this has morphed into a personalised campaign targeting one man and one company and does nothing to advance farmers interests,” he added.
