Factory protest by farmers is extended to three days
The Irish Meat Association said that it was “shocked and very disappointed” at the decision by farmers to picket at five factories for three days during the coming week, which “is now very damaging for factories and farmers”, on the week of the major international SIAL Food Fair in Paris.
The AIBP factories at Nenagh and Cahir, Dawn Meats factories at Ballaghadereen and Waterford, and Kepak at Clonee will be picketed from Tuesday evening until Friday afternoon in the fifth week of action.
IFA leader John Dillon said that farmers were determined to succeed in the cattle price campaign and claimed that over the past four weeks, the
action had held more than 40 per
animal, or 6 million, in farmers’ pockets as opposed to factory pockets.
Mr Dillon said that the supply of young cattle was tightening and with market returns remaining strong and set to rise in November, factories would be forced to pay higher prices.
IMA chief executive John Smith said that the escalation of the action by farmers in a week when processors were trying to put their best foot forward to sell Irish beef at SIAL was not in the interests of Irish farmers or the beef industry.
“The markets are weak, meat companies are losing money. Even during the course of the action, which was aimed at forcing up the price of cattle in an artificial manner, the prices have actually come down, and ultimately the market place has to determine what price is paid for cattle, not any concerted action by the IFA,” he said.
Official factory prices for last week, issued yesterday, confirmed a slight easing of prices, with a tightening of margins between factories, most of which paid close to quoted prices.
The average price for R3 bullocks at 231.8 c/kg was slightly down, as was the average for O3 grade at 223.6 c/kg. Heifer prices were generally in line with bullock prices.
