Keeping vigil: Kilkenny and Waterford farmers protest at Dawn and ABP

A dozen farmers kept vigil outside Dawn Meats’ plant at Grannagh, just outside Waterford city, in the small hours of Monday morning.

They all wore hi-viz vests in the night gloom by a busy road and insisted I put one on for my own safekeeping.

"Don't worry, it's one of your own," I was told and indeed it was an RSA/Irish Farmers Journal vest, one of thousands picked up by farmers at the Ploughing every year.

There was no evidence of Beef Plan vests, the uniform of the protests that started four weeks ago and ended for talks a fortnight later.

Similarly, the signage stated: “We have the right to protest as individual farmers.”

Everyone following this story knows that the Beef Plan Movement rejected the outcome of the talks with Meat Industry Ireland.

Now, operating outside the stated wishes of the Beef Plan’s national officers, farmers have resumed the protests outside factories.

Very little to lose

"We are fighting for our livelihoods and our way of life," one farmer told me. "We have very little to lose at this point".

Another said: "It’s time to find out for once and [for] all whether the processors want our cattle or not, and if the Government want to keep rural communities alive."

We'll settle it either way this time

These farmers are young and old, full- and part-time, and are all prepared for a lengthy battle.

"We'll settle it either way this time," was the parting shot, as I left Dawn at dawn.

Similar sentiments

Similar sentiments awaited me a few miles across Waterford city at ABP in Ferrybank.

The only difference was that here the farmers described themselves as individual Waterford farmers, compared with the individual Kilkenny farmers I had just left at Grannagh.

"Why is the farmer meant to accept losses when everyone else covers their costs and keeps a margin," I was asked.

"Thirty months, four movements, 16 months are all designed to keep the cattle flowing in the gates, no matter what the price."

As workers arrived in a steady stream, the farmers prepared to do their utmost to persuade lorries and tractors not to deliver cattle.

Ad-hoc rotas were being set up. No-one was in charge.

I left my phone number with one of those present and was told: “Don't worry, if there’s any development, you'll be the first to know."

It's a desperate state of affairs, one that may once again be replicated all over the country in the coming days.

Farmers feel they have been driven to direct action, but what can end this now? Only time will tell.

Read more

Farmers commence new factory protest in Tipperary

Beef Plan members reject draft proposals as ‘not good enough’

Factories won't pursue legal action if processing can continue–- MII

Application deadline looms for €100m BEAM