Pig producers fight on
IFA Pigs Committee Chairman Pat O'Keeffe made that clear, when he addressed more than 1,000 people at a rally in the town last Friday to protest at the shedding of another 170 local jobs by Dairygold Co-op.
Pointing to the statute of the Land League patriot John Mandeville, in the town's main square, he said there is still fight in pig producers, who would not give up too easily.
Mr O'Keeffe has since announced that pig producers have sought a meeting with the Dairygold Board to discuss the issues. At a three hour meeting with chief executive Jerry Henchy, an IFA delegation called on the co-op to re-consider its decision, but he repeated it was unavoidable, irrevocable and the right business decision for the Co-op.
Mr O'Keeffe said the closure of the business would be seriously detrimental to pig producers. It would lead to a slaughter capacity crisis and a possible market collapse. Any such event would put producers out of business, as was seen in the pig crisis of 1998 and 1999.
The IFA said it recognises that substantial cost reductions are necessary, and farmers are prepared to examine in detail and co-operate with any such measures, on the basis that they are fully explained and make sound business sense, not just for the Co-op but for producers.
IFA Deputy President Ruaidhri Deasy said all options should now be considered, including the possibility of a new buyer for the plant to operate it as a going concern, especially as management appear determined to get rid of it at all costs.
A new investor would bring a new vision and dynamic for the pig industry in Ireland, which is badly needed at this time.
Mr Deasy said Dairygold has a strong track record of more than 40 years of involvement in the pig industry with the Galtee brand. It would be wrong to see the link with pig producers broken, especially when management have confirmed that the business is profitable, he said.
Jerry Henchy, however, called for IFA and pig producer focus to be directed towards managing the change and transition process for pig farmers.
"Now that the decision to exit pig slaughtering and boning has been implemented, Dairygold will work with pig producers to ensure the smooth transition of pig slaughter throughput to other slaughter plants."
Mr Henchy said there is capacity in the Irish slaughtering sector to cater for the weekly throughput of pigs.
Increased throughput at slaughtering plants will help to reduce unit processing costs and improve the efficiency and viability of the sector in Ireland.
Overall, the move will help to strengthen the viability of pig farming in Ireland at producer level.
Dairygold remains committed to buying Irish pork for its consumer meats products and, as stated from the outset, it will remain a substantial buyer of Irish pig meat.
"The decision to exit primary pig processing will help our consumer foods business to become more competitive.
"It will strengthen the business as well as our capacity to grow pig meat sales of branded and own label product in both the British and Irish retail markets.
"Growing our business in this way will enable Dairygold to become even larger purchasers of Irish pork," he said.
