Farmers have to be able to make a living, all they’re asking for is fair play

THE thousands of farmers who converged on Dublin yesterday did so for two reasons — frustration at Government inertia on curbing retailer dominance, and anger over the raid by the Competition Authority’s raid on IFA’s head office two weeks ago.

Their presence at the protest was about standing firm and re-asserting their fundamental right to negotiate better income conditions for themselves. It was also about reminding the Government of its promise to introduce fair play into the food supply chain.

Across all commodities, the relentless pressure exerted by the multiples continues to depress the price paid to producers.