A rally organised by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) pig committee to press policymakers to support a €100m pig sector rescue package has not achieved its primary aim of securing the definite backing of Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.

However, after a 15-minute public exchange between Minister McConalogue, Minister Martin Heydon and IFA representatives, it was agreed that Minister McConalogue would meet with the pig committee later on Tuesday.

IFA pig committee chair Roy Gallie had indicated to the Irish Farmers Journal his intention to remain outside the Department’s head office on Kildare Street until Minister McConalogue agrees to progress the sectoral liquidity plan before this exchange.

Requests

“I am out of the Seanad at nine [pm]. But listen, just to be clear I mean, we are not going to be able to come to the final [conclusion],” Minister McConalogue said having declined previous requests over the conversation with IFA representatives before this.

“We came here with the initial thing that we would stay here until such time as Minister McConalogue will give us an indication for a successful outcome of this,” Gallie said.

“I have the sleeping bag and I have the mat and I have bales of straw. I’ll not go cold tonight I can tell you.

“I have got another couple of farmers from Cork and I know they are going to stay the night and I am quite sure we will have a presence outside the Department of Agriculture right through the night and into tomorrow if we need to,” he added in his comments to the Irish Farmers Journal.

Tense discussions

Farmers indicated the need for clarity to be brought to the €100m support package, as a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would allow them to decide whether or not to cut their losses and exit the sector.

“It is as well to know one way or another. ‘In’ or ‘out’?” one farmer asked as the demonstrators gathered around the ministers during the exchange of views outside their Department’s head office.

“With all due respect lads, we have to have clarity, we have to get a decision now,” another added.

IFA president Tim Cullinan told the Irish Farmers Journal that the pig sector is approaching a tipping point for survival and that if more sows were lost from the national herd, the sector could be left too small to remain economically viable.

“If we lose 30% of the farmers here, this is live, this is happening as we speak, this industry is over,” Cullinan said to the ministers.

500 sows/day

Ministers McConalogue and Heydon heard that an additional 3,000 sows had been slaughtered since Minister McConalogue met with the IFA on Thursday, according to figures presented by Teagasc to the IFA.

This represents an average of 500 sows being taken from the national herd each day.

“Since I spoke to you on Thursday Charlie, I had said to you on Thursday that we had 7,000 sows out of production. Yesterday, Teagasc figures were 10,135 - 3,000 sows in a few days,” IFA pig executive Sarah Hanley said.

Hanley added that the updated export loss figure was some €69.95m, up from €46.9m on Thursday.