“We are looking for a 15c increase per chicken and a 2c increase for eggs – that is hardly an exorbitant demand,” outgoing chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Poultry Committee, Andy Boylan, told Agriland.

He was commenting in advance of a 24-hour protest taking place in counties Cavan and Monaghan, commencing today (Tuesday, January 25) to highlight the plight of poultry farmers in the face of rising input costs, energy costs and labour costs.

The protest commences at 11:00a.m and will be based at Lidl stores in Cavan town and Monaghan town. Protesters will remain in situ overnight until 11:00a.m tomorrow (Wednesday, January 26).

Poultry farmers are, once again, calling on Irish supermarkets to increase the prices they pay for produce so that farmers can recover costs that they are being forced to absorb, Boylan said.

“Inflation is increasing at an unprecedented rate, energy and feed – and all other auxillary costs – have gone through the roof,” he said.

“We want 15c per chicken and 2c per egg, that is hardly an exorbitant demand, and that request does not give any increase to the farmer, that is cost recovery.”

On December 21, 2021, poultry farmers protested at the five major supermarket retailers in Cavan. Prior to that protest, they sent letters outlining their concerns to each of the retailers, but received no response.

“To date, they have not responded in the way they need to,” Boylan told Agriland.

“We said on the day [in December] that we would go back if there was no response. So, we have no other choice.”

However, he acknowledged that some retailers have recognised the income difficulties of poultry farmers and have increased the price of chicken on the shelf as a result.

According to the IFA, the EU average price for eggs has increased by 13.2%. However, Ireland is one of only two member states where the price has decreased by 8.4% in the past 12 months, while feed costs are up approximately 36%.

Today’s protest is targetting Lidl because the German store has, according to the outgoing president, reduced the price of Irish chicken this week.

“They are selling a full chicken for €3.49 this week. This price is just unsustainable.”

This reduced price is down from €4.29 and the same chicken was selling for about €4.55 “some time ago” ever before input costs and other cost increases became an issue, Boylan said.

We are not looking for a price increase, consumers are hard pressed as it is, but we must get cost recovery, because we cannot continue to produce chicken at current levels that costs have increased.

“These inflation costs have not been seen in a generation.

He said the poultry sector is a very efficient one, but farmers “cannot survive on fresh air”.

He said the IFA will circulate letters once again to all the major supermarkets in connection with today’s protest.