The Irish Farmers'Association (IFA) has sought an urgent meeting with Dairygold to seek assurances on a number of issues surrounding the planned closure of the company's plants in Mitchelstown and Roscrea.
Dairygold announced on Wednesday it is pulling out of the pig-slaughtering business in Ireland. It will close the plants in Mitchelstown and Roscrea, with the loss of 270 jobs, in a bid to save some €10 million a year.
The chief executive, Mr Jerry Henchy, announced Dairygold was closing its Galtee Meats slaughtering and boning plant in Mitchelstown at the end of October with the loss of 170 of the 210 jobs there. The other 40 workers will be redeployed in its consumer foods division.
It will close its Roscrea plant by the end of September with 100 job losses.
The IFA held a open information meeting in Abbeyleix, Co. Laois today to review the slaughter capacity for pigs following the announcement of the closure of the Galtee plant.
Addressing the meeting, the IFA President, Mr John Dillon, said: "The sudden announcement of the closure is a shock to all pig producers. The issue of available slaughter capacity is now a national issue rather than just a local issue."
Mr. Dillon said the IFA required "urgent guarantees" for the future of pig producers supplying Dairygold.
"The co-op intends to close the slaughtering facility on October 31st, but producers require cast-iron assurances that this is possible without disruption to pig production."
"Producers have to be convinced that alternative arrangements for transport on slaughter will be put in place and Dairygold will have to sit down with IFA and prove that their suppliers have a viable future. Without proper planning and adequate slaughter capacity, this will be a disaster for pig producers supplying Dairygold and across the country," he said.
Mr Dillon said the IFA would also demand a firm commitment that Dairygold will continue to buy at least the same volume of Irish pigmeat it currently slaughters.
"Producers and consumers will not tolerate if Dairygold attempts to use their slaughter plant closure as an opportunity to displace Irish pigmeat with imports."
Mr Michael Martin, Chief Advisor for Teagasc said pig production in the Republic of Ireland generates in excess of 60,000 slaughter pigs on a weekly basis. Some 8,000 are exported to Northern Ireland for slaughter each week.
Other speakers said the loss of the Galtee facility, which has a slaughter capacity of 10,000 animals per week will leave the Republic less than self-sufficient in terms of slaughter capacity.