Tonight’s IFA beef meeting in Roscommon is expected to be a heated affair, with a large crowd expected in Castlerea.
The meeting is part of a series the IFA has organised in light of the current beef crisis. However, tonight’s meeting is being preceded with a protest which is gathering at Castlerea Mart. Roscommon Macra Na Feirme is joining the IFA to rally troops for the march, with assembly at the mart at 6pm.
Local MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan is expected to attend tonight’s meeting which starts at 8.30 in Tully’s Hotel, Castlerea.
The first meeting of the series, which was held in Meath, was a heated affair with a number of farmers walking out during the meeting. IFA President Eddie Downey came under fire from the floor at that meeting from ‘Grassroots IFA’ at the Navan meeting. That meeting was addressed by Eddie Downey, IFA National Beef Chairman Henry Burns and Dunbia’s Padraig Browne as well as Bord Bia’s Joe Burke. It is expected that at least one representative from the meat processing industry will attend tonight’s meeting.
Meanwhile, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) which represents the processors has said that any flexibility on carcase weights and penalties will be a short-term measure by the industry.