LAST UPDATE | 16 mins ago

THE CHAIR OF Bord Bia has told TDs he does not hold a conflict of interest after becoming embroiled in controversy surrounding the importation of Brazilian beef.

Larry Murrin, who is also co-founder of Dawn Meats and CEO of Dawn Farm Foods, appeared at the Dáil’s Agriculture Committee this morning over revelations that the company sourced some of its meat from Brazil last year. 

Political pressure has been mounting on Murrin following the revelations, which were first reported by Agriland.

Sinn Féin’s agriculture spokesperson Martin Kenny said last month that Bord Bia, an Irish state agency that promotes Irish food, is not promoting Irish beef when its chair has imported Brazilian beef.

There have been a number of protests by farmers outside Bord Bia’s headquarters in the weeks since the controversy broke, while the Irish Farmers’ Association has said that Murrin is “taking farmers for fools”.

However, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has shown support for Murrin, saying he has “full confidence” in his ability to continue as chair.

The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) have called for his resignation over claims of a conflict of interest as they say Bord Bia places standards on Irish beef that they do not believe are met by Brazilian farms.

Appearing before the committee today, Murrin said he respects farmers’ right to voice their concerns, but he condemned the behaviour of IFA members who entered Bord Bia’s HQ in Dublin and refused to leave this week after calling for Murrin to step down.

He also said he has “never been conflicted” in his role as chair of Bord Bia.

Murrin said his position on the board had been presented to him as an “ultimatum” by the farming organisations, adding:

I don’t do ultimatums – unless they come from my wife.

Explaining the imports of beef from Brazil, Murrin said Dawn Farms bought the meat last year to meet a requirement of “contingency planning” to ensure security of supply for its partners.

He said that Dawn Farms is a business-to-business seller that conducts 80% of its business with 12 global customers, and that security of supply is therefore important “within the supply chain to a major international customer”.

“Dawn Farms serves as the preferred supplier of cooked meat ingredients for many major international food brands,” he told TDs.

“This arrangement has presented an excellent opportunity for Ireland for more than three decades, enabling large quantities of Irish beef and other Irish food products to reach overseas markets.”

He said that many customers require Dawn Farms to be “agile and able to activate a supply of beef” or other materials in the event of a food crisis, disease outbreak, or supply disruption anywhere in Europe and that this model brings “substantial, long-term value to Ireland”.

Murrin further told TDs:

Farmers benefit from stable demand and favourable prices, while the customer’s supply chain is de-risked and consequently, the value of Irish exports is increased.

Murrin also said the company’s labelling on the origin of its meat “has always been transparent”.

He refuted “false” claims that the Bord Bia Quality Mark has appeared on non-Irish meat products.

“Those claims are false and have caused damage.”

With reporting by PA