Glanbia reneged on deal, says IFA
IFA Pigs committee chairman Pat O’Keeffe said with Glanbia dropping prices, many smaller pork processors have gleefully followed suit at producers’ cost while Dawn’s price remains unchanged.
Glanbia is the largest processor of pigs on the island, slaughtering up to 29,000 pigs per week, which is over 50% of the national weekly kill.
Its kill has increased by up to 8,000 since the closure of Galtee on October 31 last, while the remaining Galtee pigs have been accommodated in Dawn, Grampian in the North and a number of smaller plants.
In August Glanbia publicly assured suppliers they would slaughter all the extra pigs and they would pay a competitive price, however this has not happening.
It is paying the lowest pig price on the island with some producers taking home €90 per pig or €1.30/kg, while other processors can pay over €100 per pig or €1.42/kg, which is just equivalent to the EU average price.
“All pig producers nationally have put up with a serious level of inconvenience and loss of earnings in the past six weeks since the Galtee closure but this price cut is the final straw,” said Mr O’Keeffe
“I realise these are strong accusations against Glanbia in particular, but they are well-founded and reflect the strength of feeling among producers,” he said.
“Before Galtee closed its plant, IFA were given two very specific written commitments from Jerry Henchy.”
