A number of farmers who travelled on Monday to Agriculture House, the Department of Agriculture's headquarters, to protest at the inaugural beef taskforce meeting were very clear on why they felt the need to have their voices heard again.

Finbarr Rayburn from Co Cavan said: "There’s three farmers with injunctions still over them and we are here in solidarity of their cause.

“I would love to see a whole root and branch overhaul of the whole beef sector, starting with the retailer back to the primary producer.

"There’s a lot of money not being accounted for and the primary producer is getting the bottom of the barrel, he’s getting only the scrapings,” added Rayburn.

There’s no future in farming at the minute

There was a similar sentiment between all the farmers who spoke to Irish Farmers Journal.

Robert Lynch from Co Cavan who stood with the protesters said: “I think that it’s wrong, the way we’ve been shafted essentially by the factories for decent pay for our produce, and there’s no future in farming at the minute.”

It was clear that farmers were angry at Meat Industry Ireland (MII).

When MII senior director Cormac Healy tried to enter Agriculture House, he was met with questions such as “why weren’t the meat injunctions lifted? Why are you lying to us?"

Busload

A bus travelled from Co Longford and brought approximately 30 farmers to protest, due to the injunctions on Longford councillor Paraic Brady and farmer Colm Leonard not being lifted.

They were left feeling angry, as Cormac Healy dismissed their claims and said: “C&D Foods are not members of Meat Industry Ireland, therefore all legal actions have been lifted.”

“After the injunctions are lifted, then the rest will follow,” said one farmer from Ballyjamesduff, who said “I hope that the taskforce can meet soon”.

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