It has been said this morning, Monday, September 23, that Liffey Meats has “agreed to put a floor under the base price for the next six weeks”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Dermot O’Brien, the Beef Plan Movement’s south-west chairman, said: “The base price for most farmers is insufficient at €3.45/kg but last night, Liffey Meats agreed to put a base price of €3.50/kg on their steers and €3.60 on their heifers.”
Commenting on the agreement that has been put in place, O’Brien explained: “It’s a start. We hope the market will settle out. We have been engaging with our processors and they are not willing to talk price with us.”
The producer organisation
However, O’Brien drew attention to the Beef Plan’s newly established Producer Organisation (PO). He outlined that the PO “will strengthen the position of the farmer in the supply chain”.
The PO – titled ‘Irish Beef Producers’ – is “the first in the country and is now open for business”.
The beef PO will create a mechanism for beef producers to negotiate price with beef processors – which is a major development for farmers.
All protests withdrawn
The agreement comes following last night’s announcement that all farmer-led protests outside the country’s meat processors have officially stood down, AgriLand understands.
After 48 hours of deliberation between the remaining protesters and various mediators over the weekend, Liffey Meats in Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan, Liffey Meats in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, and ABP Clones, Co. Monaghan, were the last remaining protests to stand down tonight, Sunday, September 22.
According to sources close to the protests, it is understood that senior representatives from Liffey Meats held talks earlier yesterday with independent mediators.
Following these negotiations, the demonstrators agreed to withdraw from the factory sites.