Four new factories were added to the Beef Plan Movement’s protest list this week: Foyle Meats, Carrigans, Co Donegal; Kepak Clonee, Co Meath; Dawn Meats, Charleville, Co Cork; and ABP Clones, Co Monaghan.

It brings to 22 the number of protests at factories around the country, which began on Sunday 28 July at ABP Bandon, Co Cork. As we went to press, the Irish Farmers Journal understands that ABP Cahir, ABP Nenagh, ABP Bandon, ABP Waterford, Dawn Meats Grannagh, Dawn Meats Ballyhaunis, Liffey Meats Ballinasloe, Liffey Meats Ballyjamesduff, Meadow Meats Rathdowney, Slaney Foods, Liffey Meats Hackettstown are not operating. There was no kill at Kepak Kilbeggan on Tuesday.

Protests have caused disruption, in some cases severe, at Kildare Chilling, ABP Rathkeale, Dawn Meats Slane, Dawn Meats Charleville, Kepak Athleague, Ashbourne Meats Roscrea, Kepak Ennis, Kepak Clonee, Foyle Meats Donegal and ABP Clones.

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that three protests are no longer official Beef Plan protests. These are ABP Nenagh, Kildare Chilling and Dawn Meats Grannagh.

Carmel Lawlor, Kildare Beef Plan chair, said the Beef Plan stood down in Kildare on Wednesday morning and farmers were protesting as individuals.

In the case of Nenagh, southeast Beef Plan Movement chair Enda Fingleton said Beef Plan had “taken our name off Nenagh because some people were not adhering to our terms and conditions”.

Meanwhile, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has called on the group to abandon what it called “illegal blockades” at factories.

Gardaí have been present at many of the protests. “Gardaí attend protests to facilitate free movement of traffic and to prevent any breaches of the peace,” a garda spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal.