Meat processors are in the High Court this afternoon, trying to secure a committal order to implement an injunction preventing beef farmers from blockading factories.
Gardaí are at the scene of protests over beef prices at several meat plants, which are continuing despite the court ruling.
The Irish Farmers Association says it’s instructed its legal team to fully oppose the court application, to allow time to see if a resolution can be found.
There’s little sign of farmers lessening their protest since injunctions were taken out against them yesterday.
Dawn Meats
Up to 60 farmers were gathered outside Dawn Meats in Grannagh this morning,
Tensions on the picket near the Waterford/Kilkenny border soon began to rise, however, as a large bulk of factory workers assembled near the entrance.
A number of them came out to try to escort lorries in past the picket but to no avail.
The cattle trucks then used a side entrance into the factory which angered farmers and led to an escalated blockade where nothing was allowed in.
After some time in the boiling sun lorries carrying pigs were allowed in past.
The farmers were bolstered by women who came to say the rosary at midnight. Today, they have called in a chip van from Carrick-on-Suir and have set up a stage.
They’ve made it clear that they are not going anywhere.
These farmers Dawn Meats in Grannagh say they are not being put off by yesterday’s High Court injunction.
“From early morning a large crowd gathered here to protest against the meat plants and the way they’re treating the farmers.
“There was over 100 of us here at 6 o’clock this morning.
“The legal challenge hasn’t worked, it seems to be going the other way.”
Another farmer added “you can’t railroad people off the roads, you can’t treat people like that.
“We’re all family people, trying to rear children.
“It’s totally heavy-handed.
“It’s a peaceful protest, all we want to do is get paid for our cattle.
“We’re losing every year, the price is going down, the cost is going up.”
This farmer says they have nothing to lose by breaking the injunction.
“Farmers have got to the point where we don’t really care if we get arrested.
“Let them arrest one hundred, two hundred, three hundred of us.
“We’ve nothing to lose at this stage.
“This Chinese deal, for the injunction, there’s nothing in that Chinese deal for any farmer here.
“We won’t get one red cent.
“Just because they have more markets doesn’t mean they’re going to pass it on.”
ABP
Farmers are also protesting at the APB plant in Ferrybank.
They are blockading the gates where earlier a lorry had attempted to leave the facility.
This farmer on the picket line says they have no choice.
“A lorry driver tried to push his way through the peaceful protest, they stood their ground, he went to shove them out of the way and they fell to the ground and he had to stop moving any further.
“We’re left with no alternative, they have pushed us to the wall at this stage.
“Farmers can’t go home because they have no money.
“There’s plenty of money being made from beef, it’s just not being shared around correctly.”
