An Irish Farmers' Association-led (IFA) pig farmer protest at Hilton Foods in Drogheda has entered its second day, as the IFA continues its campaign to secure a farmer pig price of €2.00/kg before the end of the month.

Pig committee chair Roy Gallie stated that farmer frustration with pig prices was rising as the protest passed the 24-hour mark.

“They are absolutely frustrated and angry at the lack of progress to address the dire financial situation on farms,” said Gallie.

“Despite highlighting this for the past number of months, it’s now our understanding that substantial price increases have been passed back from the retailer to primary processors,” the pig chair claimed.

Commitment needed

Gallie told the Irish Farmers Journal on Wednesday, the first day of the protest, that a meeting between the IFA and management of the secondary pigmeat processor had not yielded the results sought by farmers.

Farmers were seeking a clear commitment that Hilton Foods would co-operate with the factories that supply it with pigs, as well as any retailers the Drogheda processor sells to, to deliver a farmer price rise to ease their losses.

Similar commitments have been secured from some of the five secondary pig processors that saw IFA protests over the past two weeks, the farm organisation has said.