Farmers plan to beef up their protests at Lidl supermarkets

Trolleys and baskets were ‘taken out of commission’ by the farmers who are up in arms over the slump in beef prices, despite the meat plants and supermarkets making major profits from the product.

Connacht IFA Chairman, Tom Turley, told the Farming Tribune that the current situation as regards beef prices being paid to farmers was ‘unsustainable’.

“We currently have a situation where farmers are receiving €3.50 per kilo for their cattle and yet the average price that consumers are paying in the supermarkets is around €9 per kilo.

“One of the biggest chunks of profit being taken out of this cycle is by the supermarkets who get the product presented to them, ready for sale over the counter,” said Tom Turley.

He said that at last Thursday evening’s protest in Ballinasloe, they had received an overwhelmingly positive response from the public who had a very good understanding of where ‘the farmers were coming from’.

“Consumers do appreciate the quality of food being produced on Irish farms and they are conscious of the fact that, someone in the middle, is creaming off the profits,” said Tom Turley.

IFA President, Eddie Downey, who addressed the protesting farmers outside Lidl, said that the protest campaign would be stepped up over the coming weeks and months.

“Farmers feel betrayed by the unacceptable behaviour and lack of corporate responsibility on the part of the powerful retailers and meat factories to their farmer suppliers.

“I am saying to all the major retailers including SuperValu, Dunnes, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl – and the factories – that the anger and frustration of farmers is at boiling point.

“The unjustified price and specification cuts, which are severely damaging farmers and the Irish beef sector, must be reversed,” said Eddie Downey.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.