Members of the Beef Plan Movement marched in protest against the prices paid for beef in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, on Thursday evening, ahead of the Irish Farmers Journal Beef Summit.
The group marched through the town behind a horse and cart loaded with a coffin carrying the words "RIP Irish Beef Farmer".
The @beefplan are marching with a coffin and grim reaper pic.twitter.com/UfOMbILXpC
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) May 9, 2019
They proceeded into the Shearwater Hotel and placed the coffin, which chair Eamon Corley said symbolised the demise of rural Ireland, on the stage of the Beef Summit.
Price
Michael Rafferty, chair of the Beef Plan Movement in Monaghan, said the group is working hard to establish the facts in the beef sector.
Chairman of @beefplan in Monaghan Michael Rafferty says that Irish beef commands the same as the Red Tractor label in the UK pic.twitter.com/MIKEb0N9gc
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) May 9, 2019
“We have been listening to messages from leaders in the agriculture sector that our beef does not command the same price on UK retail sales. Based on work that the Beef Plan has done on the ground in the UK, the prime cuts of beef from Ireland are commanding the same price as British Red Tractor beef.”
He stated that the messages farmers had been getting from industry leaders would be challenged as Beef Plan did not believe what it was being told.
Strong statement about rural Ireland and beef sector from Beef Plan movement ahead of #beefsummit pic.twitter.com/TF7fono2B1
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) May 9, 2019
Fair price
Waterford suckler farmer Sean Harris, who joined the group as they marched, said that beef farmers need a fair price for what they do.
“The minister has to look at what the beef farmer is getting and that they can’t sustain a family on little or no income. We’re going have to change how we do our business and sell our produce. We don’t have an income - it's survival," he said.
Eamon Corley of the Beef Plan Movement says beef farmers are getting just €2/hr. #beefsummit pic.twitter.com/wUaAXnI06w
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) May 9, 2019
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