Farmers at the Beef Plan Movement protest outside the ABP beef factory in Nenagh say no cattle have passed through the gates since their protest started at 4pm on Monday.
The protesting farmers say they are looking for a fair price for their cattle and won’t leave the gates until they achieve their aims.
We’ll have the Christmas dinner here if we have to
"As beef farmers we can no longer sustain the drop in prices we are receiving for our product," said Catherine Guest, a full-time beef farmer from Templemore in Co Tipperary.
“Our demands are that we get a fair price for our produce. We are producing a top end product in this country and we are not getting recognised for it,” she said.
The protest is set to continue over the coming days.
Long haul
“We’ll stay as long as we have to, we’re here for the long haul. It’s a 24 hour shift and we’ll do it in rota,” Seamus O’Brien, a Beef Plan Movement member from Newtown in Tipperary.
“We came at four o’clock and nothing has gone in since we arrived, but we have a feeling there was cattle brought in before we arrived," O'Brien said.
Asked if cattle would be allowed enter the plant for slaughter, he said: "The plan is not to, it's a 24-hour blockade. It's a picket line and it would be a person's choice to pass [the picket]".
“We’ll stay as long as is necessary, we’ll have the Christmas dinner here if we have to,” O'Brien said.
Both farmers have cattle fit for the factory but will not sell them at current low prices.
Read more
Beef price update: beef trade turbulence as price pressure continues
Watch: farmers protest outside ABP Cahir
Watch: Beef Plan Movement members protest at Kepak Kilbeggan
Farmers at the Beef Plan Movement protest outside the ABP beef factory in Nenagh say no cattle have passed through the gates since their protest started at 4pm on Monday.
The protesting farmers say they are looking for a fair price for their cattle and won’t leave the gates until they achieve their aims.
We’ll have the Christmas dinner here if we have to
"As beef farmers we can no longer sustain the drop in prices we are receiving for our product," said Catherine Guest, a full-time beef farmer from Templemore in Co Tipperary.
“Our demands are that we get a fair price for our produce. We are producing a top end product in this country and we are not getting recognised for it,” she said.
The protest is set to continue over the coming days.
Long haul
“We’ll stay as long as we have to, we’re here for the long haul. It’s a 24 hour shift and we’ll do it in rota,” Seamus O’Brien, a Beef Plan Movement member from Newtown in Tipperary.
“We came at four o’clock and nothing has gone in since we arrived, but we have a feeling there was cattle brought in before we arrived," O'Brien said.
Asked if cattle would be allowed enter the plant for slaughter, he said: "The plan is not to, it's a 24-hour blockade. It's a picket line and it would be a person's choice to pass [the picket]".
“We’ll stay as long as is necessary, we’ll have the Christmas dinner here if we have to,” O'Brien said.
Both farmers have cattle fit for the factory but will not sell them at current low prices.
Read more
Beef price update: beef trade turbulence as price pressure continues
Watch: farmers protest outside ABP Cahir
Watch: Beef Plan Movement members protest at Kepak Kilbeggan
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