Farmers are assembling at a Kildare supermarket distribution centre with the intention of blocking it overnight.

An estimated 70-plus tractors and more than 100 people have gathered at the Musgrave Distribution Centre in Boycetown, Kilcock, Co Kildare, and the road is completely blocked.

The group, known as the Individual Farmers of Ireland, are calling for the resignation of Green Party MEP Ciarán Cuffe following his controversial letter to banks about lending to farmers. They also want the carbon tax on fuel dropped.

Their message on social media ahead of the protest was “No farmers, no food”.

Farmers blocking the entrance to the Musgraves central distribution centre in Kilcock, Co Kildare. / Pat O'Toole

Some of the farmers attending were among the group that brought Dublin to a standstill in late 2019, which had its roots in the angry beef factory protests which began that summer.

/ Pat O'Toole

A spokesperson from Musgrave told the Irish Farmers Journal: "The safety of our colleagues, contractors and the general public are our priority. We are hopeful that this dispute between the protestors and Government is resolved quickly so that the impact on our suppliers and customers is minimised during this important trading time."

What do the protesting farmers want?

Pat O’Toole spoke to one of the chief organisers at the Musgraves gate on Sunday evening.

The organiser identified the carbon calculations for agriculture, supermarket prices for food and Ciaran Cuffe’s recent letter to banks as their main issues.

“We’re being blamed for 35% of the emissions and we totally disagree with that figure because it is a totally false figure,” he said. “What has happened is the carbon has all been calculated about what has been produced on the farm but they subtracted zero for sequestration. You can’t add up all one and not subtract the other and then put that out as a true figure.”

He added that the national carbon calculation excludes aviation and shipping.

Farmer bashing

“If you looked at television for the last six weeks ever since [COP26] was on, every night was bashing farmers and farmers cutting. Our Government signed up to the Paris Agreement and in the Paris Agreement it clearly states that you’re not to endanger food production by carbon emissions, and our Government want to reduce national herd and reduce the carcase weight on cattle and sow more trees and plant more forestry.

/ Pat O'Toole.

“The world population is rising by 250,000 every day and the World Health Organisation is now saying that food production has to rise by 70% by 2050 to avoid major famine. Food prices have gone up by 30% on average, across the world this year, and that's not inflation, that’s food scarcity that’s causing that.

There’s an awful lot of money being made in the middle that farmers aren’t getting and we all know that.

“We see it here and there, especially with lamb. Lambs have gone from €100 to €160 – and that’s not inflation, that’s a world scarcity of food.”

Supermarket prices

“The main reason for our protest is, if farming goes the way it’s going, with the average age over 60, we won’t have the farmers in the future to produce any food. So where will people get food?

“Unless big supermarkets change their tune, and raise the prices paid to the farmers – and I’m not saying raise the price paid by the consumer. There’s an awful lot of money being made in the middle that farmers aren’t getting and we all know that,” he said.

“So the farmer has to get his fair share, or he’s going to go out of business. If you go to the fruit and veg sector in particular, a lot of the fruit and veg lines in Ireland are gone down to only one or two producers left. For example, I know for a fact there’s only one commercial grower growing scallions and when he stops there is no more Irish scallions,” the protesting farmer said.

“It’s all down to price. The price of food is too cheap and that’s why we have food waste. Food is so cheap people waste half of it. That’s not good for the environment either.”

/ Pat O'Toole.

‘Ciaran Cuffe must resign’

With several signs among the protest calling for the MEP’s resignation, the organiser was asked about their position.

“He has to resign because I actually don’t believe that was his idea to write that letter. I think that came over from the Green Party think-in that they had back in September. Ciaran Cuffe is not even working in agriculture in Europe, he’s working in transport so for him to come out with that letter is very strange.

“We have a man here today who got finance last week on a new tractor and the bank manager said to him if I was to go by Ciaran Cuffe’s letter, you wouldn’t get that finance. He’s a young dairy man who is expanding.

“If the Green Party get their way and we cut production, who is not going to eat the food we don't produce? If you cut production, somebody has to go hungry somewhere in the world.”

He has to go because we cannot have politicians with that attitude in Government

When asked if an apology from Ciaran Cuffe would satisfy the gathered farmers, the organiser said: “He has to go because we cannot have politicians with that attitude in Government, influencing policy in Irish banks that will absolutely destroy farmers.

“Young farmers especially are getting it hard enough and they are scarce enough, and if banks come in what that policy, you can shut the gate on every farm.”

/ Pat O'Toole

/ Pat O'Toole.