Additional reporting by Sylvester Phelan

Protesting farmers outside a meat factory in Co. Tipperary have said that they are not retreating from the picket lines until progress is made on the issue of beef pricing.

Speaking to AgriLand, a farmer protesting outside ABP Nenagh said that the demonstration will build more momentum:

“We’re keeping the factory on lock-down; we’re not moving from here and it’s going to build up more momentum – there’s more farmers coming in when they’re after hearing what’s actually going on with MII [Meat Industry Ireland].”

When asked for the reasoning behind the resumed picket lines, the demonstrator said: “It’s just because the last time we stood down they got a huge amount of cattle in and they just started killing.

Now we’re not going to let them go back to that again where they’re going to get all their numbers back up and it’s harder to block down the factories again.

“That’s really our main reason,” he said.

Commenting on what protesters want to see emerge from the current impasse, the farmer said: “We need the price discussed; and the 30 months really is the big thing – everyone wants that back to 36 months at least.

“The four-movement then is probably the next thing,” he added, acknowledging that progress has been made with the 70-day residency – now back to 60 days.

“Those were our four main priorities,” the protester concluded.