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FARMERS ARE PROTESTING again. This morning, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) organised a blockade outside an Aldi distribution centre in Naas.
This is the first direct action organised by the IFA since an agreement was reached between farmers and meat factories in September after weeks of protests.
“The supply chain is delivering mega profits for factories and retailers at the expense of farmers. We can have all the reviews we like, but farmers need a price increase now,” IFA President Joe Healy said this morning.
Last week, individual farmers gathered in Dublin to take the fight to Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed. Bringing traffic to a standstill in the city centre and camping out near the Shelbourne Hotel overnight, the farmers argued that issues remain with prices and meat factories.
Creed met with some representatives and addressed the crowd of protesters. However, it did little to mollify the farmers’ demands.
“You’ve sold us out,” one farmer shouted.
Why are farmers protesting?
This is far from the first blockade of factories and distribution centres.
Throughout the summer, farmers staged protests and blockades at plants across the country.
Tensions grew with meat factories until an agreement was broached in September, brokered by Creed and agreed between farmers’ groups – including the IFA and the grassroots Beef Plan Movement campaign – and Meat Industry Ireland.
The agreement had seemed to offer the prospect of an end to protests, with the promise of an independently chaired Beef Market Taskforce to satisfy concerns over price.
Nearly three months later, farmers say issues over price remain.
The IFA had not taken part in or organised last week’s protests. However, it had expressed support for the people taking part.
John Coughlan of the Irish Farmers’ Association said: “I support the end goal of these farmers and the many thousands more up and down the country who share their frustrations.”
What has changed since last week?
Farmers say their demands still have not been met. The Irish Farmers Association is calling for a “significant” beef price increase. They say large retailers, such as Aldi, are driving down food prices and cutting any profits that go to farmers.
Similar demands were made last week when farmers gathered in Dublin. Since then, injunctions have been lifted against protesters from blockading a pet food company, while the Beef Market Taskforce held its first meeting.
It’s the latter meeting that has sparked the latest protests.
The taskforce was intended to be an arena for the meat industry and farmers to discuss and liaise on issues like price. But the planned first meeting in October had to be reconvened after farmers arrived and tried to prevent representatives from Meat Industry Ireland entering the Department of Agriculture.
The re-scheduled meeting seems to have scarcely been much better. In a statement this morning, Angus Woods, the chair of the IFA livestock committee, accused retailers of “hiding behind factories”.
“While the meat plants are at the table with farmers and the Department in the Beef Task Force, the retailers and the food services sector are nowhere to be seen. They are hiding behind the factories and are trying to dodge their responsibility for low prices for prime meat and the unacceptable delays in increasing prices to farmers,” he said.
Aldi
Aldi has been targeted simply because it’s a retailer. Farmers have accused large businesses of refusing to take part in beef price negotiations.
Retailers, Healy said this morning, “work hand in glove with processors without any consideration for the impact on farmers”.
As for Aldi, a spokesperson for the global company said that it was “extremely disappointed” by the blockade.
While it doesn’t expect its stores to be impacted by the blockade, the company defended its role in beef talks.
The spokesperson said that Aldi is working with the Beef Taskforce and last week met with the Beef Plan Movement.
“We remain committed to reporting back through the Taskforce and playing a fulsome role in the process. Any action outside of this process is short-sighted and not constructive,” they said.
“Aldi received no request for engagement on this issue from any member of the IFA leadership, no communication about specific concerns about the mechanics of the beef market, including age specification, and no warning of any grievance the IFA had before this morning,” the spokesperson said.
IFA significance
The involvement of the IFA is a major escalation of the protests. The demonstrations last week were informal and largely ad hoc – but the IFA remains a major national voice representing farmers.
“The IFA has stepped into the ring,” Barry Cassidy, a reporter with the Farmers’ Journal, says. “Last week Dublin was unofficial and unorganised.”
The organisation brings a certain professionalism to the protests – but it’s also unclear why the IFA decided that now was the time to return to the picket line.
For the IFA, Cassidy says, the disparity in beef prices between Ireland and Europe has made action more urgent.
“The price of beef is behind the rest of Europe,” he says.
In the background to the row, the IFA itself is at something of a crossroads. The campaign to elect a new president of the nationwide organisation is still ongoing, with the back-and-forth negotiations and protests forming a backdrop to debates and hustings.
What happens next?
It’s hard to tell. The IFA has said that it will “continue to take action until processors give a significant price increase”.
It remains to be seen what exactly “significant” means. Farmers have pointed to the disparity between the price they receive for beef and the price in Northern Ireland – a difference of 50 cent.
Cassidy doesn’t think such an increase in price would be realistic.
Instead, he thinks farmers could achieve a 15 to 25 cent increase.
Whether that would be enough remains to be seen, but even that isn’t guaranteed. Last month, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that the government “must be honest with farmers”.
“There are some things that the Government controls and some things that the government doesn’t and the beef price isn’t one of them,” he said.
Today, he said: “I don’t see any reasonable justification as to why Irish farmers should be getting a lower price than the European average when only a few months ago they were getting the average price.”
But if no one budges further – the IFA, meat processors or the government – then we could be in for more protests in the weeks to come.
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Should the mother of the matador be killed also for breeding a dumbass that would stand that close to a bull.
My thoughts exactly…I presumed the Spanish were smarter than this? Where did the great Spanish explores and thinkers go?
Brilliant! Sad how many would say this is such an insensitive comment, how human life is so precious. I call BS, that person chose to be there by stupidly alone. We need to give out way more Darwin awards to keep the ever increasing human population in check.
The Girl,
They went exploring
They want to shoot a cow.
Our Army Rangers are experienced in that kind of thing.
@The Girl, they went to the Americas.
America South America China I think, Torres went to Liverpool for a short spell but eventually landed back on home soil, Athletico Madrid to be exact.
They didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition.
Ah, good ol tradition… is there nothing it can’t justify.
The Girl – they went to Torquay to work in a hotel
The bull is not an aggressive animal, and the reason he is angry and attempts to charge at the matador whilst in the bullring is mainly because he has been horrendously abused for the previous two days. In fact, what spectators see is not a normal, healthy bull, but a weakened, half-blinded and mentally destroyed version, whose chances of harming his tormentors is virtually nil. The bull has wet newspapers stuffed into his ears; vaseline is rubbed into his eyes to blur his vision; cotton is stuffed up his nostrils to cut off his respiration and a needle is stuck into his genitals. Also, a strong caustic solution is rubbed onto his legs which throws him off balance. This also keeps him from lying down on the ground. In addition to this, drugs are administered to pep him up or slow him down, and strong laxatives are added to his feed to further incapacitate him. He is kept in a dark box for a couple of days before he faces the ring: the purpose of this is to disorientate him. When he is let out of the box, he runs desperately towards the light at the end of the tunnel. He thinks that at last his suffering is over and he is being set free — instead, he runs into the bullring to face his killers and a jeering mob. THE “FIGHT”
Horrendous. And the bull is weak ended even further before the matador arrives by getting stabbed behind the shoulders by a guy on horseback and then stuck with barbed spears. The damage to the muscles in the shoulders and the severe blood loss weaken the animal significantly to make sure the matador has the upper hand before he arrives
Sparky that is horrendous I never knew this happened
Disgusting.
They also have a TV channel called Canal+toros which shows this savagery 24/7
Christ. Didn’t know that. Some people are sick.
I’m sorry Sparky but that is just a complete load of crap you just made up! Bull fighting is a disgusting sport. It’s true the bull doesn’t want to fight, he just wants to get out. And he does get stabbed between the shoulders as Tweety said. But most of your comment is complete nonsense! Spreading lies like that as truths just muddies the waters and gives ammo to the people who say we don’t understand the culture and history of the system to call for a stop. Bull fighting is cruel enough on its own merits without you making people against it seem like a bunch of crazy Jim Corr idiots
It’s not crap.. it happens… http://www.stopbullfighting.org.uk/facts.htm
Jesus, is that true?
I meant that for sparky, thats hotrendous
The whole point of damaging the shoulder muscles is to reduce the bull’s ability to lift his head, making it safer for the matador and providing an easier target for his fatal sword strike. Pure cruelty in every way.
The picadors bleed the bull at the start.
Lances in the shoulders.
Then the Matadors bleed him more with well placed spikes.
The poor animal is so scared that this blood loss prevents it from having a heart attack.
That of course would spoil the bloodfest.
Savages
What a BABARIC sport and an equally BABARIC tradition.
While I agree it is an absolutely barbaric activity, I would hesitate to call it a sport – a sport is something where competitors have an equal chance. In most cases, the bull doesn’t stand a chance against the sword of the Matador.
I find it interesting though that people condemn this kind of cruelty to animals, while at the same time eating meat or animal products.
Society’s logic: One person being cruel to one animal is condemned cruelty.
Millions of people being cruel to millions of animals is justified cruelty. Makes sense alright!
The intent with slaughtering of animals for food is that they are killed quickly and humanely so the suffer little or no pain. I’m sure there are plenty of cases where this doesn’t happen and that’s unfortunate but equating it to bullfighting where the intention is to torture the animal for sport is just silly.
It is a sport in that case… the bull did have equal opportunities to kill or be killed. He killed and the humans didn’t keep their end of the bargain, instead of the bull being cheered for and made the champion; they just killed him…. vile humans with minus ‘sportsmanship’
Competitors don’t always have an equal chance in sport. Look at Tipp v Waterford on Sunday.
Should we kill the mothers of the Tipp team now?
Just shows that its not a bull fight its a bull slaughter.
As if this story couldn’t get any sadder. Shame on the Spanish people for allowing this barbaric “tradition” to continue.
No different to hare coursing or fox hunts here…!
There is a difference in that the matador is at risk of death in bullfighting. No foxhunter risks death unless they fall off their horse and break their neck e.g. Brian Faulkner.
Making this s#it up as they go along. Cruel pr#icks
Not really. It’s tradition don’t you know.
Yeah it’s barbaric, like coursing which thousands of us watched here over the weekend. Small animals being ripped to shreds, and people cheering…
Two wrongs don’t make a right, ban all cruelty to animals. Jail offenders.
Animals share this beautiful planet with us. We are supposed to be the enlightened ones, but sometimes I’m embarrassed to be a human.
Where does one draw the line though, is a snail an animal? Yes it is.
OK you draw the line at sentinent beings. A snail won’t eye contact.
Last time I checked there was no sport inflicting deliberate suffering and death on snails for no better reason than perverse entertainment.
Look at that S car go.
You do know that no animals are ripped to death coursing? It’s fine to be against something but at least educate yourself about it.
True, since muzzling came in hares aren’t ‘ripped apart’ but many still die from their injuries, not to mention the terror inflicted on them. This is well documented in reports from National Parks and Wildlife Service observers.
Lorenzo and his mother should be honoured, his mother sent to pasture and Lorenzo retired to stud to sire many many more bulls in order to ensure his magnificent genes continue
Nice sentiment, however Lorenzo is now a killer bull (cos he won a fight), and he needs to be put down, along with his Ma for having him. Docile bulls only please for the brave Matadors.
The family of the bull fighter should be ploughed into the field and the field filled with concrete.
A Spanish couple on holiday were asking me about things to do in Dublin. I said Dublin zoo would be nice (it was sunny that week). They said “no way, it’s cruel, no way should animals be treated like that”. I was surprised.
Jack , why were you surprised ?
Because they’re coming from the land of bull fighting, which is extremely cruel.
Zoos try to look after their animals as best they can. They’re fed and looked after. Yes I suppose they can be quite cruel, I’ve heard of polar bears being sent to zoos in Southern California and dying of heat exhaustion. I suppose it depends on the species of animal.
Jack… Not all Spanish agree with the sport of bull fighting… I think there is only about 5 regions left in Spain that continue with this form of entertainment…
So Jack, you believe that Spaniards love the killing of bulls in these rings. Hence your surprise that this particular couple weren’t overly keen on the idea of a zoo? Have you only time for a cup of tea in the evening?
How about those lads (think they might be Greeks) who dive over charging bulls? They stand and then somersault over a charging bull! They annoy the bull, but they don’t kill him or his ma. Respect.
How much does the bull charge?
Depends on his energy and aggression levels, you absolute gagmeister.
9c then?
I remember the Salmon on the 50p coin, that mean’t a mars bar and a packet of chewits. The hosre was on the 20p coin, a bag of meanies, and possibly a chomp. Think the bull was on the 5p, a mister freeze at a push. Can’t think what was on the 10p. Some mad bird?
Stay off the white powder, Jamie. What is a hosre?
A horse is a pig that don’t fly straight.
Ger you used to be a fiend for the dip dabs.
Araha…. I remember when I was a lad ya could get d’aul Bj in Monto for 10p and still have change for a pint o plain and a bag o chips in Leo Burdock’s on d’way home…..
D’rare aul times whaa?
Self-hating humans were quick to comment on this one. The mother of the bull is likely to be several years older than other cows not used to breed bulls for the ring. She’s had a good life, now it’s time to go.
Laurence, you were quick to post a comment on this one. Why do you hate yourself?
Why is it time to go?
What age exactly is it okay to waste a life and let us know when you’re past it.
Breed more of that type. Maybe the (human) killers will die out… Fair play, evens the odds.
Rip victor barrio
Yeah! Rip him in half, the sadist.
I’m surprised FG or FF aren’t considering Bull fighting in Ireland. Sure wouldn’t there be a few pounds in it for one of their mates .
They are forever bragging they only breed the toughest and the best bulls for the ring ,so killing a cow that gave birth to a bull that killed a matador ,makes that claim hogwash.They obviously only want the ones that politely lie down and get slaughtered,and don’t put up too much of a fight .
In the case of a bull named Lorenza, whose mother was also known as Lorenza……..very unlikely !
Hey ! Before ye all go too far condemning Bull fighting look at greyhound coursing in Ireland, kill a Bull, kill a Hare, it’s the same Bloody thing, cruelty to animals. So prioritise and do something about what is happening in your own Bloody country and then condemn Spain.
Again, educate yourself, coursing does not rip hares apart.
Well done that bull! I’m only sorry he didn’t drag the pain out further for the bol**x! As the Spanish waiter said to the Irish diner who complained about the small meatballs – “Senor, the Matador, he dosna hallways win!!”
No that probably is his real facebook account. By the sounds of him he wouldnt have any friends. Just a little loner.
Call in the Irish Army, they’re pretty adept at that sort of thing!
Bull was drugged,tortured and harassed before being sent to the ring to be finished off by a little coward in sparkly tights who wanted to feel like a big man. Exhausted and injured bull was fighting for his life. Don’t call this bull a beast, the man in the coffin was the beast. Don’t call this barbaric practise a sport or tradition. To torture any creature for crowds gratification is sickening.
Cristiano Ronaldo should really use his profile to protest this grotesque national sport :-(
He’s not Spanish.
If people are stupid enought to do this and get killed, then who is to blame but themselves, what a stupid practice.
1-0 too the bull
I think the death of a human being is sadder than the death of a cow. Does this make me a fascist neo liberal reactionary?
He did it to himself, who is to blame then, not the animals, nope.
What kind of sick mind watches this on TV.In fact what kind of shithead engages in this and calls it sport.No wonder the world is in a mess.
Its a cow… calm down.
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