The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) entered the grounds of the EU Food and Veterinary Offices, in Grange, Co. Meath earlier today, Wednesday, July 31.
The move was part of a protest organised by the association today calling for the “scandal” of “substandard beef imports” to be halted.
Entering the premises using ladders and bales of straw, a large crowd of people comprising IFA officers and farmers gathered at the main entrance to the offices to speak to Frank Andriessen, head of unit at the European Commission’s Health and Food Safety Audits and Analysis department.
Speaking to the European official, Laois IFA county chairman Francie Gorman said: “The biggest problem we have at the moment is you’re allowing substandard beef into an oversupplied market.”
“We’re just asking for fair play – I don’t think that’s too much to ask,” he added.
IFA president Joe Healy and Frank Andriessen, head of unit, EU Commission Health and Food Safety Audits and Analysis. Image source: Kenneth O Halloran
The protesters included IFA’s National Council and Livestock Committee.
Speaking at the protest, IFA president Joe Healy said: “The crisis in the beef sector is an EU-wide problem driven by Brexit uncertainty and falling consumption.
Image source: Kenneth O Halloran
“This is compounded by substandard imports coming into the EU. The situation is now intolerable for farmers and solutions must come from Brussels and the Irish Government.”
“While farmers have rightly been outraged at the recent EU/Mercosur trade deal, which has yet to be ratified, the real scandal is that significant quantities of substandard beef from Brazil are already coming onto the EU market,” he said.