Confusion over the identity of farmers who are blockading the Musgraves distribution centre at Kilkcock, Co Kildare, has led to a statement being issued by one group called the Independent Farmers of Ireland.

The farmers in Kilcock are being led a by a separate group called the Individual Farmers of Ireland.

While both groups have their roots in the beef factory protests of 2019, on Monday morning the Independent Farmers of Ireland (IFOI) moved to distance itself from the current Musgraves protest.

The group’s board said it has “no hand, act, or part in the blockade of Musgraves distribution centre in Kilcock, Co Kildare or any other food distribution centre on the island of Ireland for that matter”.

Unjust hardship

The IFOI believes that blocking distribution centres will only serve to impose unjust hardship on “ordinary people” in the run-up to Christmas.

It said the protests will disproportionately affect people on low and middle incomes as a result.

The group said it understands the frustration and anger of the ordinary farmer at what they are experiencing every day.

It highlighted rising energy costs and “unfair trading conditions” imposed on the sector as the basis of such frustration.

Economic paper

The group described how in recent months, it published an economic paper A Better, Fairer Way Forward which it said “laid out radical, ambitious plans to reform food processing and to grow Ireland's indigenous economy”.

“In light of today's development and ahead of the nationwide trucker protest set to take place tomorrow, the IFOI hereby calls for the abolition of the carbon tax, and for a meaningful reduction on all fuel levies as a way of reducing hardship on ordinary working people.

“We reiterate our calls for meaningful reform of the wider food processing sectors to allow for fair and open competition.

“These include, but are not limited to, abolition of the anti-competitive 30-month rule, reform of the offal processing laws to name but a few.”

The Individual Farmers of Ireland are understood to be predominantly Leinster based and two thirds of those protesting are thought to be in their 20s to 30s. .

Steadfast

The Individual Farmers of Ireland said it remains steadfast in its willingness to fight for the small and medium farmer.

“In so doing, will always seek to find common cause with like-minded groups and with the majority of low- and middle-income families who faces similar socioeconomic challenges.

“The fight for farming justice continues.”