The Irish Farmers' Association is currently staging a 12-hour demonstration, which reportedly began at 7am this morning outside the Aldi warehouse in Naas, Co.Kildare.
In response Aldi said that it is 'extremely disappointed' by today’s IFA protest at its regional distribution centre.
"We welcomed the resumption of the Beef Taskforce this week and have engaged positively with farmer representative organisations on the beef issue over recent months," a spokesperson for Aldi said.
"Aldi has a policy of open communications with all of its stakeholders, including the IFA."
The retailer said: "To be very clear, Aldi received no request for engagement on this issue from any member of the IFA leadership, no communication about specific concerns about the mechanics of the beef market, including age specification, and no warning of any grievance the IFA had before this morning."
"Aldi is fully committed to co-operating with the Beef Taskforce and met with one of the representative groups, the Beef Plan Movement (BPM), as recently as last week to further update our position," the group added.
Initiated Research
Aldi said that as part of its preparations for the Taskforce, it has initiated research on a wide range of beef products to determine a number of issues.
"Our work also includes a complete review of procedures and processes with our suppliers to ensure we are meeting all customer and market requirements," the retailer said.
Aldi said that is a proud supporter of Irish beef and that all of it fresh meat, including its beef is 100% Irish and Bord Bia Assured.
"This is a cornerstone of our commitment to our customers," it added
"We remain committed to reporting back through the Taskforce and playing a fulsome role in the process. Any action outside of this process is short-sighted and not constructive."
Aldi said that today all of its stores are open and unaffected.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
