Big companies, beef barons and supermarkets profiteering on the backs of farmers and taking the bite out of their mouths would sum up the anger and attitude of a packed ringside at Castleisland Co-Op Mart on Monday night.
Making the News
Most of the local politicians were in attendance as well as those aspiring to join the ranks on May 24th.
They were joined by angry farmers from all over the county as this new, protest initiative gains momentum. The meeting was given a slot on the Six One News on RTÉ One last evening.
And Kerry farmers aren’t the only ones up in arms as similar meetings have been held or are being organised in counties right around the country.
History of Protest
Given the history of farming protest in their country you’re likely to hear a lot more of this movement in the coming weeks and months.
Falling prices to beef producing farmers and the formulation of the National Beef Plan 2018/2025 by Irish farmers is at the core of this initiative.
Income Compromised – Ferris
“I spend most of my time beating my head against a stone wall trying to get this system to challenge the factories, the factories who rob out of yer pocket, the factories who comprise organisations.
By compromising them they compromise your income and that’s what they have done,” said an angry Sinn Féin TD, Martin Ferris at Monday night’s meeting.
thatsfarming.com
Writing in ‘thatsfarming.com’ Emma McCormack also ditches subtlety in her forthright article:
“The Irish beef sector has been pushed to its knees and if changes are not made now, it will be a thing of the past. We need you to help. You that are reading this now, can help to put fairness; equality and respect back into the beef sector,”
Failed by Farming Unions
“There are many people and organisations who can be blamed for why we have gotten to where we are. Farm unions whose sole purpose was to keep the best interests of the farmer in mind, have failed us miserably, time and time again. Our government have let us down and penalised us beyond recovery.
“We have failed ourselves also. Over the past decade, beef farmers have slowly descended into a deeper and deeper abyss,” said Ms. McCormack in a hard hitting article.
You can read her article in its entirety with a click on the link here: https://www.thatsfarming.com/news/beef-plan-movement
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