West
The "united" approach of meat plants appeared to be under severe pressure in the west yesterday, with one of the major players reported to be seeking a meeting with farmers and several smaller suppliers offering price increases.
Representatives of Dawn Meats are understood to have sought to open talks aimed at resolving the dispute before the weekend, but there was no official comment from the company last night.
Dawn Meats, which has western bases in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, and Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, is one of the three major firms in the industry, handling about 70 per cent of all business.
Two smaller companies, Martin Jennings, in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, and Duffy Meats, in Gort, Co Galway, are also understood to have made deals offering 90p per lb for O grade or standard cattle at finished weights of 320 kg. The blockade at the Gort plant was lifted last night.
Duffy Meats, a local family business in south Galway, had agreed not to pass on the veterinary inspection fee which set off the whole dispute with farmers. However, the IFA opted to include the plant in its campaign, given that the core issue was the price farmers were paid for beef.
By Lorna Siggins
Midwest
Former Limerick IFA county chairman Mr Richard Kennedy said yesterday he was very happy the injunction on the farmers' pickets had been lifted and he was hopeful it would lead to successful negotiations.
The largest picket in the midwest was last evening still being maintained on the Goodman-owned AIBP meat plant at Rathkeale, Co Limerick. This was being conducted by farmers from Limerick, Kerry and Clare and numbered up to 300. Although an offer of 90p per lb had been made by Galtee Meats at Charleville, a relaxed picket presence was still being maintained at the plant.
Mr Kennedy yesterday said Galtee's offer had not been accepted "as it was too restrictive".
The 90p was for carcasses over 320 kg deadweight, which ruled out more than half of the cattle on offer, . he said.
Mr John Cunningham, Mitchelstown, spokesman for Galtee Meats, said it could not agree to a price of 90p for 300 kg weight for what were in effect unfinished cattle. These, he said, did not have the required muscle. The average cattle required would be 350 kg weight "but we suggested 330 kg, which was not accepted".
By Arthur Quinlan
South East
Farmers picketing the Slaney Meats plant in Bunclody, Co Wexford, were meeting late last night to consider proposals aimed at ending their blockade.
Contacts throughout the day between factory management and farmers' representatives culminated in a meeting between the two sides yesterday afternoon.
Mr Peter Earle, who resigned as IFA Wexford county chairman on Monday night but took part in the negotiations, said the deal on offer did not give the farmers everything they had sought.
But he said the 90p a pound minimum price sought had been "more or less" agreed and he believed the deal was a good one which was "seriously worth considering".
Under the deal, farmers would be paid 88p a pound for O grade steers, plus £15 per animal. The top-up payment, said Mr Earle, effectively amounted to an additional 2p per pound, bringing the payment to the level farmers demanded.
A similar deal was on offer in relation to the higher grade animals, with 96p per pound offered for U grade and 93p for R grade steers, with the same top-up payment of £15 per animal.
The blockade would be called off immediately if the deal was accepted, Mr Earle said.
By Chris Dooley
North West
A blockade at the Donegal Meat Processors plant in Carrigans was set to remain in place last night after talks between the company and picketing farmers broke up yesterday evening without resolution.
A spokesman for the farmers said it was unlikely a settlement would be reached last night and the blockade would be maintained.
The company had agreed to average price increases of 6p per pound across some grades and farmers were hopeful they would also achieve the 90p per pound they were seeking for O grade cattle.
By Theresa Judge
South
Farmers in Cork continued their protest yesterday outside the four main meat plants in the county despite an apparent breakthrough in the dispute between the IFA and the meat processing companies.
Mr Tim O'Leary, a former county secretary of the IFA in Cork, who resigned his position on Monday last, said that while there were hopeful signs, the situation was still far from being resolved.
One meat company - Galtee Meats in Charleville - had agreed to pay 90p a lb for certain weight categories of beef carcass, but that would still rule out the price being demanded for other categories of carcass, Mr O'Leary added.
Other meat plants in Cork had so far failed to meet the farmers' demands and until they did so, the protests outside the factory gates would continue.
By Dick Hogan