Farmers plan two-day protest at meat factories

Farmers are planning to protest outside meat factories for two days in an escalation of the IFA’s dispute with meat processors over cattle prices.

It is understood the protest will begin on Sunday afternoon outside 30 meat factories around the State.

This news will make for a tense meeting between the IFA and meat factories tomorrow over market prices and specification issues. The meeting is being chaired by former Department of Agriculture general secretary Michael Dowling.

IFA president Eddie Downey said the situation was "extremely tense" and farmers across the country were preparing to escalate the dispute. "Real and substantial progress must be made on Friday," he said.

“Farmers have endured a horrendous year of loss-making cattle prices and unacceptable specification cuts. The meat factory bosses must accept responsibility for their disastrous handling of the relationship with their farmer suppliers this year.”

There are signs the market is improving with cattle prices up by 10 cent per kilo over the past week, but Mr Downey said this was nowhere near enough to reflect the strong returns in the UK.