Ireland’s second largest meat processor Dawn Meats has no plans to change its existing levy collection arrangements unless asked to do so by farmers or the farm organisations.
That’s according to a statement from the company in the wake of ABP’s decision to present its farmer suppliers with an ‘opt in’ for farm organisation levies in the future.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s third largest beef processor, Kepak, had no comment to make on the situation when contacted by Agriland.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Ireland’s largest beef processor – the Larry Goodman-owned ABP – is to stop the blanket collecting of levies from farmers, a move that will severely hit IFA income.
It is understood that meetings took place this week between ABP and farming organisations to discuss the change and that farmers will now have to ‘opt in’ to pay the levy.
ABP will write to farmer suppliers and offer them the option to ‘opt in’ to the collection of farm organisation levies.
In response the IFA President Joe Healy said he has written to Larry Goodman, instructing him to suspend the collection of the levy on behalf of IFA, with immediate effect.
“ABP will not dictate how IFA represents farmers or how farmers decide to support their Association,” he said.
The IFA President said when he met the Managing Director of ABP Ireland, Finbarr McDonnell, and the Group Chief Executive, Frank Stephenson, yesterday, the only issues they raised with the IFA delegation were the Association’s concerns about the Slaney deal on competition grounds and their collection of the IFA levy.
The IFA President made it clear that ABP Group is no longer authorised to collect any levy on behalf of IFA. Farmers who have concerns about monies deducted by the Group from today should contact the company directly.
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