Starting from tomorrow, Monday, July 29, the Beef Plan Movement is calling on all suckler and beef farmers to support a nationwide protest to underline the importance of the suckler and beef farmer to the overall Irish economy.
This will see farmers stage peaceful protests outside meat factories around the country with representatives stating that the protests will continue until further notice.
A number of plants have been earmarked for demonstrations, which in turn are part of a larger plan not to trade with the wider agricultural industry in protest tomorrow.
- Kepak Kilbeggan;
- Kepak Athleague;
- Liffey Meats Ballinasloe;
- ABP Bandon;
- Dawn Meats Ballyhaunis; and
- Dawn Meats Rathdowney.
There will be protests at more sites later in the week, according to the farmer organisation.
In a statement, the movement called on farmers to support a protest so that the Government, the general public and the wider agricultural industry will realize the important contribution suckler and beef farmers make to the economy of Ireland.
The farmer representative group has outlined that, as of tomorrow, farmers “will not trade”.
- Refusing to go to local co-ops;
- Refusing to sell cattle in local marts;
- Refusing to go to a factory with cattle; and
- Refusing to shop in local towns.
The movement has said that this will be done so that people can begin to realize how much beef and suckler farmers contribute and how much everyone has to lose if such farmers go out of business.
Speaking to AgriLand, Eoin Donnelly of the Beef Plan Movement said: “We want a meaningful proposal back from Meat Industry Ireland on what they propose to do so that farmers get a fair share of the retail price.
“We’re being absolutely categorical with our members; they are not to ask for a price per kilo because that’s against competition rules for us to do that so we’re not going to do that.
It’s going to continue until further notice; until we either get meaningful engagement or we pull the plug – one of the two.
“There’s nothing stopping us going again, if we pull the plug; we might take a week off and then go at it again. That’s what’s going to happen,” Donnelly concluded.