The Limerick Beef Plan Movement is appealing to management at ABP Rathkeale to sit down and talk about beef prices.

The group has been protesting outside the factory since last Monday and intends to continue its protest for a second week.

“We’ve had a good response from farmers through the week here,” Dave Murphy, joint chair of the Limerick Beef Plan Movement, told the Irish Farmers Journal.

He said many farmers in west Limerick were dependent on rearing sucklers for their livelihoods and had few other options due to their land type.

“We can’t do tillage. Some of it [land] is designated. It’s just suitable for the suckling cow,” he said. Murphy said ABP Rathkeale had not engaged with the group and other members reported that the factory had recently installed a camera near the entrance of the factory where the group were protesting.

“I’d appeal to the factories to look at it from our situation as well,” he said.

“The factories must come out and talk to us. We need a rise in price.

“I would appeal to the factories to come out and talk.”

He concluded by saying that he thought the situation was going to get worse in the coming week.

Peaceful protest

PRO of the Beef Plan Movement in Limerick John Moloney said that while the protest was peaceful, there had been an incident where one of the members was injured.

“One of our members got hit by a jeep last week,” Moloney said.

“Jeeps have been driving in too fast and trying to literally break through the picket.

“The safety of our members is paramount to us so we just want to have a peaceful protest and farmers to be thoughtful of our members driving in.”

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