A large crowd of farmers protested outside Dawn Meats Ballyhaunis on Monday morning over what they termed “continuous beef price cuts”.

At about 8.00am, the farmers blockaded the gates of the Co Mayo meat plant, stopping all trucks in and out until after 11.30am.

The protest was organised by the ICSA, who say that farmers in the beef sector have been crucified by beef price cuts in a year when they have substantial extra costs due to extreme weather.

ICSA beef chair Edmund Graham said: “Farmers cannot continue to produce beef at current prices. It is beyond belief that in a year like this, when farmers are on their knees with extra cost arising from a fodder crisis, [that] the meat industry would seek to increase profits on the back of farmers.”

He added that there was an orchestrated effort to drive down beef price over several weeks.

While prices have steadied, the ICSA now wants to see prices increase once again.

“It is time for farmers to fight back. We cannot go on working for nothing and risking substantial capital [in] finishing cattle, especially as we enter the expensive winter finishing period,” Graham said.

ICSA president Patrick Kent said that farmers are sending a very clear message to retailers that beef farmers are being exploited.

He added that “retailers cannot boast about sustainable beef and then profiteer when farmers are not even getting the cost of production”.