Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal at the protest, IFA Grain Committee Chairman Liam Dunne said farmers are extremely angry and frustrated at the volumes of grain being imported from producers abroad.

“Around 35-40 farmers are here at the moment and I expect that number to double within the next hour.

“We want everyone in the industry to get behind the tillage farmers and support the sector. Farmers are very angry. This year’s prices are below the cost of production and no profits are being made”, he said.

Tillage farm incomes have decreased significantly in recent years and Liam warned that farmers cannot continue to take these financial hits year after year.

“No money is being invested in the industry, machinery keeps getting more and more expensive and we need funding – things cannot continue as they are”.

Low-quality grain

This protest is the second that has taken in a matter of weeks. Earlier in August, farmers staged a protest at Foynes port in Co Limerick.

At the Foynes protest, tillage farmers compared imported barley with barley grown in Ireland and found a huge difference in quality between the two. The imported barley was of a much lower quality than the homegrown produce, with many farmers raising the issue of why this low-grade barley continues to be used for feedstuff.

Liam Dunne said the grain he had seen at Drogheda today was also of a much lower quality.

“Farmers cannot understand why this barley is here and why brokers continue to use it. This is not grain I would want to feed to my animals,” he concluded.

Grain farmers at the protest carried out a test on imported barley. The bushel kph measured 61, moisture level was 14.5% and screenings measured 10%, the ideal level for screenings is 2%, showing the huge difference in quality between Irish barley and imported barley.

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