Prices prompt sheep demos

Irish sheep producers have staged a series of demonstrations outside factory gates this week in protest at falling prices.

“There is real anger at the actions of the lamb factories in cutting spring lamb prices by up to €1/kg (70p) in the last two weeks,” said Irish Farmers” Association president John Dillon. “This will devastate the incomes of early lamb producers.”

Farmers took up station on Tuesday evening outside plants belonging to Kepak, Irish Country Meats, Dawn Meats and the Kildare chilling plant.

misguided

But Cormac Healy of Meat Industry Ireland, which represents the abattoir sector, said the action was misguided. “Weak demand in the French market, combined with strong domestic and UK supplies, have led to the recent price fall,” he said. “A further difficulty is that French buyers have not as yet changed over (from purchasing hoggets) to purchasing Irish spring lamb.”

sensitive

Disrupting the supply of lambs at a sensitive time of year would do nothing to help the trade.

Irish Cattle and Sheep Association spokesman Mervyn Sunderland also had reservations about the merits of confrontation. “It has been a difficult year with sheep prices. But we must work with the factories and assist them in cornering a bigger slice of the trade,” he said. “I hope that the pickets will not cause orders to go elsewhere.” Skin prices are also substantially lower this year, down the equivalent of 40 cents/kg (28p).