Farmers picket meat plants

Farmers tonight picketed meat processing plants across the country in protest at the current prices being offered for livestock.

Hundreds of farmers began overnight protests at six factories owned by the country’s largest beef processor, Anglo Irish Beef Processors (AIBP).

The pickets took place in Nenagh and Cahir in Co Tipperary, Bandon in Co Cork, Rathkeale in Co Limerick, Clones in Co Monaghan and Waterford.

They began at around 8pm and will continue into the morning.

The Irish Farmers’ Association, which has backed the action, accused the meat factories of cutting prices in recent weeks and said farmers could not afford to sell animals at current prices.

IFA president John Dillon said members were “very frustrated and extremely agitated”.

Mr Dillon said the protests were the first step in a campaign against cattle price manipulation by the factories.

“Farmers are determined to demonstrate their dissatisfaction over the factories drive to cut prices, which is destroying their livelihoods,” he said.

But AIBP and other processors rejected the IFA claims that prices are down on last year and say the demonstrations could cause long term damage to the industry.

The Irish Meat Association, which represents meat processors, accused the IFA of misleading farmers into believing that artificially high cattle prices can be sustained.

It said that the prices paid for cattle throughout Ireland this year had been consistently higher than last year, at an average of 2%.