IFA sheep chair Sean Dennehy has asked Irish Country Meats (ICM) to increase bonus payments at a meeting at the factory in Camolin, Co Wexford.

“[The] IFA put a strong case to ICM to increase the Bord Bia quality assurance bonus to 30c/kg,” Dennehy said after the meeting.

"We also made it clear if the factories want lighter in-spec lamb, they need to pay a worthwhile price premium to farmers.

“We left the management in ICM in no doubt about the anger among sheep farmers over the way factories have savaged lamb prices and destroyed farm incomes over the last two weeks.”

Average lamb quotes are currently €5.50/kg after falling by over €1/kg this month. ICSA representatives staged a protest outside ICM on Wednesday.

Dennehy also called for the removal of "unfair" blanket clipping charges, and of scrapie and special risk material (SRM) charges on ewes.

The IFA sheep committee also met with management at Kildare Chilling this week and is due to meet with the other main processors.

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