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THE IRISH FARMERS’ Association (IFA) is staging a protest outside a Tesco distribution centre in north Co Dublin.
The latest blockade is part of the ongoing farmer campaign for an increase in beef prices.
The protest began at the distribution centre in Donabate, which supplies Tesco stores around the country, at 7am and is expected to last until 7pm.
IFA members held similar protests outside Aldi and Lidl distribution centres last week.
Meat processing company ABP last week said it will increase the base price of cattle for deliveries from today. The company, owned and controlled by Larry Goodman, said in a statement that the blockades were “needless and irresponsible”.
IFA President Joe Healy today stated that while ABP said prices would increase, the company gave no specific figures in its statement.
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Some lorries are turning around and leaving the site of the @IFAmedia protest as farmers say they will remain here until 7:00pm pic.twitter.com/JeqxkJ8cfN
“This is typical of the lack of transparency from meat factories,” Healy said in a statement issued this morning.
“From talking to farmers, it would seem that generally the price rises appear to be 5c/kg for heifers and 10c/kg for steers.
“This still leaves the Irish price well short of the Bord Bia EU Benchmark and it remains over 50c off the UK price as their market continues to strengthen. The UK price increased again last week and sterling improved to 84p/€ last Friday,” he said.
Healy said the IFA will continue its protest until there is “a substantial price increase”.
“We don’t have to wait until ‘price setting Friday’, as ABP insisted in their press statement. This can happen any day. This sort of controlling practice only serves to fuel the belief amongst farmers that ABP are abusing their dominant position in the market.”
He called on other meat processors “to break from this practice and announce a further price increase immediately, in line with increases in the market”.
‘Appalled’
Healy stated that farmers are “also appalled” to see Tesco advertising ‘half price’ beef in the last few days.
“This unsustainable discounting puts downward pressure on beef prices and is an insult to farmers and the work they do,” he said.
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Farmers' group calls 5c increase in beef prices 'a derisory offer' as blockades go on
A spokesperson for Tesco told TheJournal.ie the company has “always maintained a good working relationship with the IFA and in recent weeks had a very constructive meeting, so today’s action at our distribution centre is regrettable”.
“All Tesco own-label fresh beef is sourced through processors, who agree prices directly with farmers. The price customers pay for beef products in our stores is not related to the price farmers receive from the processors. As a business we pay for any price promotions we run.
“Tesco supports the work of the Beef Taskforce and agrees that it is the correct mechanism for resolving the current challenges in the beef sector.”
In a statement issued on Friday, ABP said Healy and the IFA “were fully aware that market indications pointed towards a cattle price increase in Ireland”.
“The price paid by ABP for cattle will always be determined by the prevailing market conditions and those conditions have recently improved. ABP can confirm, as was indicated on Tuesday at the Beef Task Force, that it will increase the base price of cattle for deliveries from next Monday (today),” the statement read.
A spokesperson for ABP today said the company won’t be commenting beyond the statement issued last week.
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@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: Anyone that knows anything about Larry Goodman and the transfer of state wealth to private hands in this country, should be on the farmers or the ordinary workers’ side.
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: i agree, if they arent getting what they want for beef then get rid of your cows and start farming something that will make money like hemp
@John Mc Donagh: opium is a drug hemp isnt, its used to make paper, biodegradable cups, clothes, tablecloths,baskets furniture etc go get educated because your response is completely idiotic and uneducated
@john: You can’t compare Irish farmers to the French ones John. Can you see a farmer driving up Kildare street with a 10 ton manure and opening up? Well that is a French way of protest, and it work.
@john: the latest national strike in France was a protest against pension reforms which would see the public service pensionable age in some jobs rise from 52 to 62. Do you think being able to retire at 52 with a full pension is right or financially sustainable?
@y6Qe5BN3: Maybe they should have think about that when they are voting FFG in the next election, you reap what you sow suck it up farmers you put FFG into power now you finally have to deal with their rot and I for one am delighted.
@Peter Hughes: I can’t see them switching their vote to Soc Dems, Solidarity/PBP or the Greens when they don’t even put up candidates in rural Ireland.
Why dont the farmers just stop supplying the beef producers? This would have a far more reaching affect. And on a another note, farmers seem to get away with what other members in society would not. If say climate prtestors blocked the department of the eviorment Gards stright and moved away.
@Wreck Tangle: the meat factories can let their already low paid staff go at the drop of a hat, which has been widely reported on over the last few months. Factories also maintain extensive feed lots of cattle so they can weather short term disruption with minimal real impact. Basically, Larry always wins.
@Wreck Tangle: the farmers are the meat producers…they tend to the cows…..the factories are the processors. Knock on effects are what the farmers are aiming for, so to comment on your point I am glad they are left standing around….it means its doing what it is supposed to do.
If what you work at is no longer viable you do something else. Why are beef farmers always looking for handouts and why do we keep having to subsidise them. If my business goes bust because people no longer want what I produce no one is going to come and bail me out.
@JH66: for a good quality animal processed in ireland, the total figure after sale is €2,700 roughly! The farmer gets about €1,200 of that while the remainder goes to the processor and retailer. The point being if the farmer got another €150 per animal, there would be profit hopefully, what’s wrong with the original figure being split considering the farmers investment takes 2 years while the others have it in and gone in a month. There are challenges but it’s not that the industry isn’t viable, it’s that it’s been monopolised and the people in the middle are taking every cent they can get!
@Donal Kearns: fair play. That’s the most succinct and clear explanation of the whole beef crisis I’ve read yet. Some commentators could do with reading it before they post.
@JH66: they’re not looking for handouts. Just a fair price for their products. It’s like a worker going on strike and picketing a factory for better wages when their company is making billions and paying pittance
From what I understand based on comments here Larry Goodman pretty much controls the beef processing market because he has the only license for disposal of offal. Other meat processing plants have to go to him for offal disposal and if farmers decided to build their own meat processing co-op he might n’t dispose of their offal so its a non runner.
Have I got that correct?
Conspiracy theorists point out the licence was granted to him by Simon Coveny who is married to his niece.
Does anyone know the process for getting this licence. Is there a fee for it. Was it tendered for. Does it depend on having the correct facilities for offal disposal and Goodman was the only person who had the money to invest. Are there any other licences available but nobody has applied for them. It would be nice if the Journal could do an investigation / fact check so we could have the full picture. On the face of it one man has been granted a monopoly by a government minister he is distantly related to
@Dav Nagle: Try getting money from a farmer when your an agricultural contractor, should agricultural contractors go on strike now too??? You can’t complain about being ill treated when you ill treat others???
@Fran O’Keeffe: Do you even know how a farm operates, your comment suggests you have no idea….and look im not in the humour of a slagging match so if you haven’t a clue, which you appear not to, then just leave it at that.
Farmers, build your own abattoirs!! Come together as a cooperative, if there is as much money as claimed, investors will be lining up!
Western economies are consuming less and less beef, this decline is expected to intensify. Countries like China will become more and more important. If pricing seems bad today, good luck if this comes home to roost!
Below cost selling is borne by the retailer only. It doesn’t affect the price of beef paid. Blockades at distributors who put Irish beef on shelves definitely does. If supply can only be guaranteed for 364/365, then that’s 3c in every €10 steak not passed on to farmers.
@Brin I really wish my masters in Economics didn’t take so long now that I have read your comment….no need for all those years in college after Brins take on how things work. To say its nonsensical would be an understatement
fair play to them we should be all sticking behind each other in this country when it comes to industrial action, divide and conquer is how the big boys win stay together we do
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