The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) will consider its next move in its beef price campaign at the organisation’s national council meeting today, Friday, December 13, IFA president Joe Healy said.
Commenting on the matter, the president said: “We have delivered a strong message to the five major retailers and to Minister [for Agriculture, Michael] Creed at our meeting today.
“There must be a beef price increase and the minister must immediately call in the processors and the retailers to drive home that message,” he said.
The organisation had initially begun a 12-hour blockade of the Dunnes Stores depot, before extending it to a 24-hour protest on Wednesday night. This was subsequently extended again.
Prior to this, IFA had blockaded the central distribution centres belonging to Aldi, Lidl, Tesco and Musgraves.
Farmers are angry that Irish beef price lags behind the Bord Bia Export Benchmark Price by over 20c/kg, and behind the UK price by 50c/kg.
“This is unsustainable and the minister needs to get on the pitch to tell the processors and the retailers that this cannot continue,” he said.