'This is the time to bring in the experts' - Farmers not satisfied with result of beef talks

A spokesperson for the Beef Plan Movement has said he is recommending to farmers accept the agreement reached in talks at the weekend.

However, Hugh Doyle also warned that he has no control over protests and pickets at processing plants.

He told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that on Sunday “after 44 hours on the go” he had finally gotten to bed thinking he “had something to come back with to farmers.”

On Sunday he drove to Ballyjamesduff to speak to farmers protesting at the processing plant where he explained the plan but it was rejected.

“They said until the base price is raised they won’t budge.

You have no idea of the frustration and sense of abandonment felt by farmers. They (farmers and processors) just don’t understand each other.

Farmers are seeing their livelihoods “going down the toilet” and “they can’t pay their bills,” added Mr Doyle.

“I have no control over that picket, it just started organically.”

He called on all parties to “take a step back” and find some middle ground.

"Fiddling" with a ticking bomb was not the way to deal with the problem, he said. “This is the time to bring in the experts.”