TALKS BETWEEN FARMERS and factories over beef prices have ended without reaching a deal.
The IFA says it wants better beef prices for Irish farmers and that it would stage a 48 protest from Sunday if no deal was reached.
The talks started at 1pm today and after over 9 hours both sides could not reach a deal on the price issue.
Speaking ahead of the talk the chairman of Meat Industry Ireland, Ciaran Fitzgerald, said, “It is questionable whether these talks can progress on a constructive basis given the overhang of a threat of further protest action from the IFA.”
Over 10,000 held a 24-hour protest last month which brought meat factories across the country to a standstill.
The President of the IFA, Eddie Downey said that the actions farmers have taken are fully justified given the effect that low beef prices have had over the past year.
Budget business
Downey has also called on the Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan, to insist on the reversal of the proposal to grab €465m from the Agriculture budget for use in other areas.
The IFA President described the proposal as unjustified and irresponsible.
Downey said “This is Agriculture budget money, most of which has been collected from farmers in super levies and I am appalled that it could be raided in this way, by a Commission on its way out of office.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say