The Irish Beef and Lamb Association (IBLA) has encouraged its members to support a protest organised by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) to highlight the crisis in the sheep sector.
The protest, which will take place outside the Dáil, will kick off at midday today (Tuesday, February 28) and continue until 2:30p.m, before moving to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) headquarters at Agriculture House on Kildare Street.
The sheep sector has been struggling to deal with a combination of lower prices and input costs.
The protesters will call for a support package for the sheep farmers, similar to what was provided to other farming sectors in times of crisis in recent years.
IBLA
In a statement, IBLA chair Gerard Pilkington said that the association had been invited by the ICSA to support the protest “on behalf of all sheep farmers”.
“IBLA is supporting this protest, as we view it as a step to secure funding to help sheep farmers during this incredibly difficult period in sheep farming.
“IBLA has issues with money in the form of grant aid supplements being awarded to farmers, without first having proper regulations in place to prevent processors, retailers and merchants swallowing up the aid in the guise of price cuts and increased retail prices, similar to what happened with Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) funding.
“But considering the severe financial position sheep farmers are now finding themselves in at this time, IBLA will support whatever immediate financial relief can be achieved to ease their situation, while at the same time acknowledging that it is a very short term solution to a big problem,” he added.
The IBLA is also planning to organise town hall meetings which aim to “inform and discuss with farmers, the various ways that we believe can and will correct the inequalities in the meat supply chains”.
The association favours index-linked supply contracts between the farmers and the meat processor, which would include in-built clauses on inflation and deflation.
“For now, we encourage our members and indeed all farmers to attend outside government buildings tomorrow at 12 noon.
We recognise the fact that many sheep farmers will be committed to lambing and other spring farming duties at this time of the year and would ask to delegate, where possible an attendee for tomorrow’s protest,” Pilkington said.