Farmers are continuing to protest outside a number of meat processing plants despite yesterday’s High Court injunction.

A temporary ban was put in place to prevent farmers picketing outside up to ten factories owned by Dawn Meats and ABP.

Locally, Farmers are picketing plants at ABP in Ferrybank and Dawn Meats in Grannagh.

Farmers protesting at Dawn Meats in Grannagh says they have nothing to lose.    Gardai are at the scene.

Farmers say they  are only being paid for the meat element while factories are selling on the rest of the animal known as the fifth quarter which includes the offal and hide.

Up to 10 facilities will be covered by the injunction.

Meat Industry Ireland spokesperson, Cormac Healy, says farmers can only get a better price if market conditions improve:

STATEMENT FROM DAWN MEATS

Dawn Meats has been granted an injunction in the High Court to stop protesters from blocking the entry and exit of lorries at its facilities in Ireland. Illegal actions by protesters at two plants resulted in the suspension of livestock processing and distribution to important customers of Irish beef. It is regrettable that this legal action has been necessary to allow for an orderly resumption of processing activity.

Farmers who want to sell their cattle are being denied the choice to market their livestock in an orderly manner, and customers of Irish beef are not having their orders fulfilled. In a situation where the level of EU market demand is the problem, it is regrettable that valued and loyal customers of Irish beef overseas are being penalised for their commitment to Irish agriculture and are being forced into purchasing beef from other sources to meet these volume shortfalls.

It is by growing the demand for Irish beef and diversifying into new markets, rather than through illegal protesting, that the current challenging pricing environment can hope to be addressed.

We recognise the right of any citizen to engage in peaceful and legal protest, but we cannot allow our staff, customers and suppliers upon whom our business depends, to be further damaged by these counter-productive blockades.