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LAST UPDATE | 19 Sep 2019
FARMERS ARE CONTINUING to protest at meat processing factories today despite organisations calling for blockades to be stood down.
The number of protesters at the gates of factories has dwindled in recent days and votes have been held in which farmers voted to stand down the demonstrations.
Last night, farmers at ABP Food Group’s Ferrybank factory in Waterford voted in favour of ending protests and TheJournal.ie understands another vote is to be held at a Dawn Meats plant in Waterford this evening.
But some protesters returned to the gates this morning while factories across Waterford and other parts of the country remain on lockdown with no trucks getting in or out of the premises.
Yesterday, protesters at Dawn Meats in Slane put an end to the protests after a legal action was lodged against the Beef Movement Ireland, according to the Irish Farmer’s Journal.
In a statement this afternoon, Liffey Meats has appealed to protesters to lift blockades at its factory gates.
It said it has over 500 employees waiting to return to work and that many of its 10,000 farmer suppliers “want to sell their cattle”.
“These blockades are having a hugely negative impact both locally and in the surrounding communities, and a lot of local businesses and suppliers to our business are suffering as a result,” a spokesperson for Liffey Meats said.
It is extremely disappointing that despite agreements reached in good faith with all farming organisations last weekend, we have seen no evidence that blockades at our plants are set to cease.
“We would appeal to the protesters to lift the blockades in the interest of all concerned and give the agreement a chance to work.”
Kieran Delaney, a farmer based in Birr Co. Offaly has been attending the pickets at a Nenagh meat factory and said he has no intention of standing down.
“I am very much going to keep picketing,” he told TheJournal.ie.
“I am going to the ploughing today and then I’m back on the picket tomorrow and that’s the general feel among farmers. The fear is that if pickets start to lift in factories around the country we won’t have the support but we are looking at other options too.”
Stand down
Farming organisations made fresh calls for farmers to stand down blockades at factories as fresh talks get underway today.
The Beef Plan Movement agreed to stand down protests in the agreement made with Agriculture Minister Michael Creed at the weekend.
It has been urging farmers in recent days not to continue with blockades and has been working with other farming organisations, including the Irish Farmers’ Association and Irish Cattle and Sheep farmers’ Association to de-escalate tensions.
“Sometimes these pickets are unsafe to approach, they can be dangerous and we’ve seen that in recent days so we have to ensure they’re safe to approach,” Dermot O’Brien, chair of the south-west region said.
“We are aware there are votes happening and different organisations are helping to stand this down. We’ve gone down in person, we tried to make contact with people on picket lines, in the hope they will stand down.”
He added: “The main point we need to explain is that some of these people on the pickets are not farmers at all. The meat processors seem to think that the beef plan movement is still involved in the protests and we are not.”
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) today made a fresh call for farmers to stand down their blockades outside factories and allow plants to reopen this morning.
It also called for companies involved in the dispute to reconsider their approach to the base price of beef, which has been the issue at the centre of the dispute.
“I would now urge factories to reopen and to come forward with a strong base price. This would help to start the process of building some sort of trust and to get the industry up and running,” IFA president Joe Healy said.
“Farmers with animals to sell should contact their factories and drive the hardest possible bargain on the base price,” he added.
An agreement was made between representatives of farming organisations and Meat Industry Ireland following talks with Agriculture Minister Michael Creed.
It allowed for increased bonuses for farmers based on animal’s ages and residency period as well as the withdrawal of all legal actions, in exchange for farmers discontinuing the blockades.
Not all farmers agreed, however, and many continued to protest and block entrances to meat plants in the days that followed.
“The independent review of specifications, including the 30-month age limit, the four movements and the residency period will be very important for many farmers. IFA is clear that if the review shows that these cannot be justified on the grounds of market access, then they should be abolished immediately.”
Impact
The dispute has had a knock on effect on consumers with supermarkets posting notices that beef products are in limit supply, and restaurants warning that beef options are to be removed from some menus from next week.
Jobs have also been put at risk with several hundred people temporarily laid off at meat processing plants.
Meat Industry Ireland claims over 3,000 people have been temporarily laid off from factories across the country.
This week, ABP confirmed it was forced to temporarily lay of 355 staff at its Cahir plant in Tipperary with a further 182 jobs predicted to go by the end of the week.
“The protesters have stopped any product going in to or leaving the site. Production has ceased. Furthermore, these illegal blockades are impacting seriously on the thousands of beef farmers who supply cattle to the site,” a statement from the company said.
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Rockin up to the Oscars in an RUC landrover, gwan the lads!
@Anthony Curran: Anything to take away from the actual content.
@Ollie McGlinchey: Ok boomer.
@John P Doe: Ye ragin’? Lol
@John P Doe: dick
They’re a bit backwards focused for my taste, but nice to see the Irish language. All the best.
@Jimmy The Mink: are we backward for wanting the Brits to go home???
@sean weir:
I think that you in particular are backwards, yes.
These people you refer to as “the Brits” have lived there for hundreds of years and love it and consider it to be home as much as you do.
And your want to “get them out” is backwards as there will never be a United Ireland if it is not inclusive and for all. Even Sinn Fein came to understand this (eventually) and it is chamiponed in the green and orange stripes of the Irish flag, if only those who wave it so frantically would take a moment to look at it.
So yes, you a backward. A (dim) dinosaur.
When there is a United Ireland it will be because of people like me, not you.
You’re just a remnant, an obstacle.
@Pad: you could use that logic to justify Israel kicking out the Palestinians Pad.
@Pad: Ah Pad, it’s not if you go back far enough which is what you’re doing in N Ireland.
Anyway, have a nice long weekend.
@sean weir: yes. Backwards as backwards can be.
@Jimmy The Mink: are you retarted?
The 6 countries have been policed by the British army since 1968.
Pray tell me who are these soldiers that have lived there for 100,s of years.
If you are talking about unionists and you think that they are the Brits in”brits out” it shows you don’t have a clue about what is happening in you own country
@John P Doe: Brits out is not about unionists,it’s about the British government and army ,the fact that You don’t know that is astonishing to me.
Another embarrassment for Ireland. Its like sending a rapping Bin Laden group
@Pat Hazzard: it’s amazing with you southern lads ,we are to Irish for the Brits but not Irish enough for the dubs,
In only 100 years you have convinced yourselves that we don’t exist
@Pat Hazzard: Stephen you were such an embarrassment to FF they kicked you out.
@Pat Hazzard:
‘Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was a Saudi Arabian-born Islamist dissident and militant leader who was the founder and first general emir of al-Qaeda from 1988 until his death in 2011′
Kneecap are a trio of p*ss taking rascals who have never harmed anyone. Who have friends in the PUL community who understand that there’s some humour to be found in all the tragedy and identity politics. They haven’t made a single threat made against any state. No holy wars declared either.
I don’t think it’s like ‘sending a rapping Bin Laden group’ at all!
@Pat Hazzard: ah paddy lad take off your ffg blueshirt for a minute someone might give you a hug
@John P Doe: “you lot”
You really are some west Brit P.O.S
Shame the music and rapping is awful.
@Ollie McGlinchey: it’s not though. Get your brits out is a banger. The song with Grian Chatten is very good too.
@Ollie McGlinchey: Vanilla Ice and Will Smith more your thing Ollie?
@Setanta O’Toole: more like a clanger
On vacation in New York. Seen a poster of them in Manhattan. Had to take a second look just to be sure. Put a smile on face.
Pat Hazzard is a C L O W N
@Darragh Mcnamara: it’s one of Stephen Kearons multiple personalities
@Michale Kane: the same Stephen Kearon who is a great admirer of Thatcher..no surprise there.
@anthonyjames. byrne.: and the black an tans. Imagine how bad you have to be to get kicked out of FF.
Not everything is for everyone.
@Jack Hayes: Like colonialism
One can imagine the hysterical condemnation if there was a punkish rapping band going around with union jack Balaclavas and purporting to represent the Shankill and the unionist community.
@tony mc g: They have their marching and burning Tony, even have a special month dedicated to it !
@Michale Kane: and what does the world think of that Michaela?
Oscars have gone downhill then
@Hector turtlehead: lol. …. that’s what done it for ya eh!
Ní ceapaim
Why not just send the Wolfe Tones to sing Up The Ra and save us any futher embarrassment?
have your say