A group of approximately 20 beef farmers are protesting outside the gates of the Slaney Foods processing facility in Bunclody, Co. Wexford, today, Tuesday, August 27.

Speaking to AgriLand at the site, the protesting farmers expressed anger at the current situation in the beef sector, with one farmer saying “we shouldn’t have to do this”.

“This is going on 20 years now,” said another protester, who highlighted the lack of significant positive price movements over long periods of time.

For these particular protesters, a major issue was the fifth quarter, with one farmer calling for beef suppliers to be given a share of all parts of an animal carcass that are sold on by the processor.

Speaking about the processing industry itself, one particular individual claimed that some figures in the beef industry “want to close it down here, and bring it all in from abroad”.

“We’re doing all this work to keep a few people in millions,” argued another man.

Commenting on the future of the beef sector, one of the protesters said that it was losing “knowledgeable, experienced farmers”, and that the younger generation couldn’t replace them as there “was no wage for them”.

We love the farming. Sometimes we don’t think we do, but we do. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be doing it.

The picketing farmers said that there had been no communication between themselves and personnel from the Slaney Foods plant.

Regarding the protest itself, several of them expressed concern over the speed at which livestock lorries were being driven in and out of the facility, with one farmer claiming that another protester had received an injury last night.

Gardaí were at the scene last night, and a squad car drove past the entrance to the site this morning. However, relations between the protesters and the authorities appear to have been relatively cordial.