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Irish farmers have been blocking processing plants and distribution centers since August. They claim better income. Faced with them, the cattle industry has just accepted the opening of negotiations.
from our correspondent in Dublin,
"It all started in late July, the 27th, " recalls Carmel. " That day, the price of beef dropped drastically. In the middle of the summer, the kilo of beef is around 3.50 euros. " We lost about 70 cents in one year. On each animal, we lose on average 200 euros, "calculated the farmer of County Kildare, one hour from Dublin.
It is this passage under the 3.50 euros per kilo that set fire to the powders for Irish farmers. " Everything is increasing: food for animals, the price of land, water ... And distributors are lowering our purchase price, without this decrease being passed on to consumers ! Denounces Hugh Doyle, representative of the Beef Plan Movement , one of the groups at the head of the protest.
The mobilized farmers accuse large retailers of enriching themselves to their detriment. Added to this anger is the rejection of the current regulations, including the "30-month rule", which says that an animal over 30 months of age loses its value. This rule, inherited from the mad cow epidemic and only applied in Ireland, would affect the competitiveness of Irish beef internationally, according to farmers, while 70% of beef production is exported .
The main demand of farmers is the assurance of a purchase price higher than the cost of production, " to be able to live from our trade ". They also demand the transparency of the prices practiced by large retailers and the rejection of free trade agreements with countries with lower sanitary standards such as Brazil.
Mobilization to curb the cattle industry
Unable to listen at the end of August, farmers plant their pickets in front of the meat processing plants. 3,000 workers are on short-time work in Ireland before justice blocks blockages. Carmel explains with a smile: " Since then, we have only been slowing down the trucks ! Like that, it's not illegal. "
That afternoon, there are about fifteen people walking along the road to the Tesco distribution center in Ballymun, north of Dublin. At the wheel of the supply trucks, some are bothered to be delayed on their tour, but most drivers greet the protesters with a horn or thumbs up. The same scenario is happening day by day in front of factories and centers across the country.
" The goal explains Hugh Doyle is to remember that we exist, and that they need us as much as we need them. Farmers, distributors, carriers ... We are all part of a production chain, and we should be treated as equals. The protesters fear, however, that distributors are importing European or Brazilian meat to prevent shortages, " rather than talking to adults ".
Live negotiations
In addition to seven weeks of mobilization, the farmers have stopped twenty plants, representing 80% of production. At the end of August, the visit of a Chinese trade delegation to Cork was postponed because of the blockages. Prior to negotiations, representatives of the Irish beef industry, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) called for the lifting of the blockade.
Despite Minister Michael Creed's calls for restraint, IRM withdrew from a first roundtable on September 9 due to continued slowdowns. " They look like kids in a playground, " one of the farmers gathered in front of the Ballymun distribution center grumbled.
The risk of shortage increases
The mobilization takes a new turn on September 12 : some supermarkets announce that they are no longer able to offer meat entirely produced and processed in Ireland, and put on the shelf of Irish beef, cut and packaged in the United Kingdom. United.
The Minister of Agriculture, describing the situation as " urgent ", then urges the parties to sit down around the negotiating table. A new session is scheduled this Saturday, September 14th . Michael Creed invites participants to come with the desire to reach an agreement during the day. As a pledge of good faith, the IRM assured that it would suspend its slaughter operations for the duration of the discussions and asked the protesters to guarantee the free movement of meat.
For its part, the Beef Plan Movement claims, by the voice of Hugh Doyle, that a cost price is determined: " it is necessary that everyone knows that, on a kilo of meat, the producer receives such amount, the company of transformation such amount, and distributors, such amount. As for the president of the Irish Farmers Association, Joe Healy, he called on farmers and industry to " drop the postures and solve the crisis as soon as possible, this weekend ."
Farmers mobilized in front of factories and distribution centers have not yet indicated whether they plan to continue the blockages. At the Tesco site in Ballymun, Carmel sighs, " I'm afraid this is our last chance. If these negotiations fail, we will have to shut the door and say goodbye to our family farms . "