THE presidents of the four UK farming unions have met at the 100th Royal Welsh Show to call for urgent and collaborative action across the whole supply chain to support farmers affected by the ongoing beef price crisis.

While the Royal Welsh Show is a showcase for world-class livestock and genetics from throughout the UK, the event arrives against the backdrop of severe price cuts affecting UK beef farmers.

Such is the seriousness of the situation the four UK farming union presidents - John Davies (NFU Cymru), Minette Batters (NFU), Andrew McCornick (NFU Scotland) and Ivor Ferguson (Ulster Farmers’ Union) - came together to agree a set of measures that need to be urgently implemented to address the situation.

The presidents said: “The UK beef sector is at crisis point: we’ve seen downward pressure on farmgate prices throughout the year and this dire situation cannot, and must not, be allowed to continue.

"While we accept that this is a complex situation and there are a number of factors affecting this drop in price, beef farmers cannot continue to sustain this decrease any longer. Let’s be absolutely clear - the sustainability of UK beef production is at stake here.

“Together we are calling for action across the whole supply chain - farmers, levy bodies, processors, retailers and the food service sector – in order to bring the UK beef industry back from the brink.”

The four presidents have announced a collaborative five point action plan which is needed to ease the current beef price crisis.