‘We are all in this together’ - Poots’ stark message

“This I want to make absolutely clear,” the DAERA Minister said.

“Any company which is importing foreign beef at this time is engaged in what I would describe as treachery.

“And they are stabbing the people who served them and the farming community with good quality beef in the back.”

Mr Poots said there was “no necessity whatsoever” in such a practice.

“Any company that is engaged in that, I would ask to desist immediately, and make sure that they buy home grown beef.

“That applies to supermarkets as well.”

He added: “The concept that we are all in this together means precisely that - we are all in this together.

“It’s not for individuals to go off and profiteer from this.”

The Minister also said that reports of increasing food prices in shops also “didn’t reflect very well on the concept of being in it together”, considering farmers’ prices were actually going down.

And he said that this attitude of beating the threats posed to the industry by the current Covid-19 crisis also applied to the government, who “need to step up to the plate and provide some support.”

He commented: “We recognise that farming is not like hospitality, and needs a different kind of support.

“If national government don’t step up to the plate, then it is going to be harder to get the banks involved, and we are into a catastrophic situation.

“It is absolutely necessary at this time to allow people to get to the other side of this virus.

“We need to continue to work with our banks.”

Mr Poots pointed out that help had been given to those employed in the hospitality sector, but that had yet to be extended to agri workers.

“I remain convinced that this is required if we are to make it through, and continue having a strong agri-food sector going forward.”