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Cattle farmers have shut off parts of Dublin city center in an ongoing row over the price of beef.<\/p>\nCattle farmers have shut off parts of Dublin city center in an ongoing row over the price of beef.<\/p>\n
Around 30 tractors and more than 50 farmers gathered along Stephen\u2019s Green on Tuesday, in front of the historic Shelbourne Hotel, to highlight the plight of farming families who representatives claim are facing an anxious Christmas.<\/p>\n
The row has been going on for months, with the price of beef at its lowest in years and many farmers saying they are struggling to survive and may be forced out of business without Government intervention.<\/p>\n
The Bord Bia price index shows Irish prices for beef are now 50c\/kg behind UK prices, and 25c\/kg behind European prices.<\/p>\n
Protests at the gates of meat processing plants across the country have ended in arrests and injuries, while a Chinese delegation was prevented from entering certain sites for inspections during the summer.<\/p>\n
This month, a number of protests have been held outside Aldi and Lidl distribution centers, as Agriculture Minister Michael Creed comes under increased pressure to tackle the issue.<\/p>\n
Farmers taking part in Wednesday\u2019s protest said they were very aware of the time of year, and took special care to make sure bus and taxi lanes were not impeded.<\/p>\n
They also took a smaller number of tractors than in previous protests to ensure less disruption to shoppers and businesses.<\/p>\n
Tom Burke, a farmer from South Wicklow, said farming families are heading into a worrying Christmas period.<\/p>\n
\u201cNext year there won\u2019t even be enough men to call a protest, because they\u2019ll simply be out of business,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it goes over the Christmas into the new year, that\u2019s another month\u2019s holdiay without a pay rise for the farmer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want an immediate price rise.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of these men don\u2019t see any Santy Claus coming for this price rise, the same as Northern Ireland or England or Europe.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at the jeeps or tractors here \u2013 there\u2019s nothing new, no 2019 registrations, it\u2019s all early 2000s, 1996 or 1997. Where is the money? It\u2019s not here.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the price that concerns them and that\u2019s why they\u2019re standing out here today.\u201d<\/p>\n
The farmers\u2019 group released a statement saying they were very \u201cfrustrated with the lack of action by our current Government to support an industry in distress\u201d.<\/p>\n
A letter was handed to Mr Creed, containing five demands:<\/p>\n
Michael Fitzpatrick, a farmer from Templemore, said the protest message was aimed directly at the minister.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need the taskforce to be called in immediately,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you get into a taxi, who sets the price? The taxi regulator \u2013 so the minister is wrong when he says he can\u2019t set the price.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he does put in a regulator to set the price of beef, the beef marketing task force was supposed to do that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey put the name on it \u2013 if you\u2019re talking about marketing anywhere in the world, you have to talk about money, that\u2019s what the name of the committee is.\u201d<\/p>\n