Farmers plan protests outside meat factories
The planned action outside the Goodman group plants in Nenagh, Cahir, Bandon, Waterford, Rathkeale and Clones has been sharply criticised by AIBP, which has totally rejected IFA suggestions that it does not pay a fair price for cattle.
And the Irish Meat Association (IMA), which represents processing companies, described the threatened protests as misguided.
But the IFA president John Dillon said the meat factories had cut beef prices to farmers by 25c/kg or 9p/lb or 84/head over the last ten weeks.
Producers simply cannot afford to sell cattle at a price of 2.27/kg or 81p/lb, he said.
AIBP said it was clearly demonstrated at a meeting with the IFA in Ardee, Co Louth, some weeks ago that the group was paying some of the highest prices in the industry.
In many cases it paid the highest price across the various grades of steers, heifers and cows.
The threat of a picket at the six AIBP plants will effectively prevent slaughtering on Monday and could also potentially damage the business of AIBP, a spokesman said.
IMA chief executive John Smith also said the selective protest, if it goes ahead, could do lasting damage to Irish meat companies which are seeking to regain their position in commercial beef markets, both inside and outside the EU.
Farmers have had the benefit of extra premia payments without suffering the expected reduction in prices which formed part of the Agenda 2000 agreement.
Independently of the prices paid by the meat factories, Irish farmers are currently receiving almost 160 c/kg (58 p/lb) through the premia mechanism.
“The prices which meat factories pay for cattle must be based on the returns from the market outlets that are available to them.
“The industry throughout this year has incurred major losses in paying prices which did not reflect the returns from the marketplace,” Mr Smith said.
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