Farmers won't supply cattle to plant until €3.5m is paid

FARMERS warned yesterday that they would not supply cattle to Tralee Beef and Lamb plant, which has been sold to new owners.

Some 300 farmers from Kerry, Limerick and Cork are owed €3.5m for cattle supplied to the plant before it was put into receivership last October.

The completion of the sale of the plant to West Kerry businessmen Robert Noonan and Haulie O'Shea was confirmed yesterday. But the IFA deputy president Ruaidhri Deasy said the position of farmer creditors and suppliers remained unchanged.

He warned that farmers would not support this meat plant or supply cattle to it until the new owners agree to a satisfactory package to deal with the 3.5m owed to farmer suppliers.

"With the sale now complete, IFA and farmers are more adamant than ever the problem of the 300 farmer suppliers who are owed 3.5m must be satisfactorily resolved by the new owners."

Mr Deasy said the new owners need to grasp the opportunity to resolve the farmer creditor problem satisfactorily and enable the plant to re-open as soon as possible.

John O'Leary, secretary, Kerry executive, ICMSA, said he would be seeking a meeting with the new owners to get action on proposals to provide funds for farmer creditors of the plant.

Mr O'Leary said the ICMSA is determined to get additional contributions from the banks. The closure of the plant last October with a loss of 80 jobs was seen as a major blow to the local economy and to agri-business in Kerry.

Farmers have since been campaigning for the payment of the money they are owed for cattle supplied. They met with various politicians including Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the issue was also raised in the Dáil.

Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh said at the time he had the greatest sympathy for the farmers concerned who supplied animals to Tralee Beef and Lamb. Before the closure of the company farmers had to await payment for a period of four or five weeks.

An estimated 300 people from counties Kerry, Limerick and Cork, accompanied by farm vehicles, took part in the IFA-organised march from the gates of the Tralee plant at Monavalley to a rally in Denny Street last May.

IFA president John Dillon warned on that occasion there would be no goodwill or cattle supplied to any new owners of the plant without a satisfactory resolution to the creditor issue involving up to 300 farmers and their families.

An estimated 300 people from counties Kerry, Limerick and Cork, accompanied by farm vehicles, took part in the IFA-organised march from the gates of the Tralee plant at Monavalley to a rally in Denny Street last May.

IFA president John Dillon warned on that occasion there would be no goodwill or cattle supplied to any new owners of the plant without a satisfactory resolution to the creditor issue involving up to 300 farmers and their families.

"While the situation has improved in many parts of the country, there are still some farmers who have not been able to meet the extended deadline. For that reason, I have agreed to extend the deadline for a further month to August 31."

Farmers who have joined REPS since the current scheme opened in November 2000 are subject to different rules. They have until August 31 to spread all slurry produced during the winter housing period.

Mr Walsh again emphasised that all farmers remain subject to the obligation to avoid causing pollution.

John O'Connor, chairperson, ICMSA Farm Services and Environment Committee, who had earlier this week called on the minister to extend the deadline, welcomed the decision.

"This decision will provide all farmers participating in the old REPS an opportunity to spread their slurry and catch up on the back-log of work due to the exceptional weather," he said.