Sean Dennehy, National Sheep Chairman of the Irish Farmers’ Association has said that the group left the management of Irish Country Meats in “no doubt” about the anger among sheep farmers over lamb prices.
The statement follows a meeting between senior management in Irish Country Meats in Camolin, Co Wexford, and the IFA.
The IFA called the meetings as a result of “the way factories have savaged lamb prices and destroyed farm incomes over the last two weeks”.
Severe Price Cuts
Dennehy said that the IFA demanded that factories stabilise and restore lamb prices, and to stop undermining the market with price cuts.
“IFA put a strong case to ICM to increase the Bord Bia Quality Assurance bonus to 30c/kg,” Dennehy said.
“We also made it clear if the factories want lighter in-spec lamb, they need to pay a worthwhile price premium to farmers”.
The IFA called on ICM to cease its unfair, across the board, clipping charges, which Dennehy said “is totally wrong”.
Dennehy added that the unfair, anti-competitive price-cutting tactics of the factories were raised at a meeting with Agriculture Minister Michael Creed earlier this week.
According to the IFA, Minister Creed said he would challenge the factories on the lamb price cuts and unfair charges.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
