The ongoing beef protests across Ireland has brought "a number of questions for beef processors, corporate food retailers and corporate food wholesalers forward to be answered", according to the Northern Ireland lobby group Farmers For Action (FFA).

Sean McAuley, an FFA steering committee member, claimed "corporate abattoirs in Ireland and in the UK seem to set up their own rules and pricing, give or take a few pence to retain the fog on anti-competitive practises".

As a result FFA have requested a meeting with the UK Competition and Market Authority.

McAuley continued: “This will be an interesting meeting, in that FFA have met the Competition Authorities in Brussels some years back.

The FFA has said "there can be no denying the following are anti-competitive practises":

This is laughable if it wasn’t so serious with many farmers at their wits ends financially, therefore, it is time to see what our UK Competition and Markets Authority are made of – we will not hold our breath as the corporates will no doubt have been there ahead of us.”