It’s not getting any nicer for the IFA pigs committee. The representatives of the embattled sector met on Wednesday but it appears that events overtook themselves. Some 13 members of the 23-strong committee brought a letter outlining their lack of confidence in committee chair Pat O’Flaherty.

After a brief break to see whether the meeting would continue or if the motion of no confidence would be dealt with, a number of the committee staged a walkout and said that they wouldn’t be returning. According to a couple of the members, this was because the chair proposed to continue with the meeting rather than deal with the motion of no confidence.

The Dealer tried to get in touch with O’Flaherty before going to print but he could not be contacted.

The situation is beyond dire for many of the country’s pig farmers. As one pig farmer put it to me: “We’re at the equivalent of 14c/l in milk terms. It’s a matter of weeks before many of us go under … it’s that serious. Some of us have weeks, not months.”