The Beef Market Taskforce must be convened next week – with December 15 seen as being too far away – according to the Beef Plan Movement.
In a statement today, Wednesday, November 27, the farm organisation said that it has observed the individual farmer protests in Dublin in recent days “by the hour”, adding that it welcomes Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed’s engagement on a number of occasions:
“Direct dialogue is the only means to moving a process forward,” the statement said.
The Beef Plan accused corporate industry, through “abuse of their positions”, of offering “scant regard for farm viability, food security and sustainable agriculture, which is now a growing global threat”.
“How is the time for leadership; we ask Minister Creed to convene the Beef Market Taskforce next week. December 15 is too far on.
The Beef Plan Movement also requests that ABP show leadership and hold discussions with its C&D subsidiary to discontinue all outstanding legal threats and injunctions, as C&D’s inaction is now preventing progress.
“There is a corporate and social responsibility on ABP and Meat Industry Ireland (MII) to rural Ireland in which they operate, as they have benefited over the years from their farmer suppliers, who double up as consumers.
Calling for a gesture of good will, which would be appropriate given the time of year, the group said: “Desperate people call for desperate measures. ABP, MII and C&D have the capacity to release that pressure.
“The Beef Plan Movement acknowledges the efforts of Minister Creed and Michael Dowling, chair of the Beef Market Taskforce, to reconvene the beef taskforce.
“The ball is firmly in the court of ABP, MII and C&D,” the Beef Plan statement concluded.