Over 600 beef farmers took part in a major protest over the prices they are being paid for their animals outside the Kepak meat factory in Athleague, Co Roscommon, yesterday.
As the protest got under way, Meat Industry Ireland, representing the beef factories, accused the Irish Farmers' Association, which organised the protest, of "misguiding" beef farmers over the recent fall in prices.
The IFA's deputy president, Mr Ruaidhri Deasy, warned the meat factories there would be a major backlash by farmers against unjustified cattle price cuts.
Mr Deasy accused Kepak Athleague of being the "leader of the pack" in driving down prices.
"There is no justification for these price cuts. The factories have cut prices by 22 cent a kilo, or €73 per head, over the last 6 weeks without any reduction in market returns. Farmers cannot make a reasonable income from beef cattle at these prices," said Mr Deasy, who led the protest in the absence of the IFA president, Mr John Dillon, who is in hospital.
Mr Cormac Healy of Meat Industry Ireland said the price being paid to farmers would be determined by the markets, which were currently difficult.Seasonal demand for steak cuts in the UK and the Continent had almost come to an end and both demand and prices had fallen.
He said lower-priced South American beef was coming into the EU at reduced prices and had been fallen by over $1,000 a ton for fillet and striploin.
"While cattle prices have fallen in recent weeks, reflecting developments in the marketplace for Irish beef, current prices are 25 cent a kilo, or 11 per cent higher than this time last year, and year-to-date are 12 per cent up on 2003 price levels," said Mr Healy.