Beef Plan calls for Leinster House farmer protest tomorrow
The Beef Plan Movement has called on farmers to attend a protest that is set to take place outside Leinster House tomorrow (Thursday, February 5).
The protest is understood to be taking place to coincide with an appearance by Bord Bia chairperson Larry Murrin at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food.
Murrin was asked to appear before the committee to discuss his business, Dawn Farm Foods, and its sourcing of beef from Brazil.
Farm organisations and some politicians have strongly criticised this arrangement, claiming it clashes with Murrin's role as chair of Bord Bia, which is tasked with promoting Irish food.
These concerns, however, are not shared by the beef processing sector, nor by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon, Tánaiste Simon Harris, or Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who have backed Murrin.
Beef Plan Movement has said that it has "wider concerns" around the operation of Bord Bia, claiming that the interests of processors are given undue "influence and prioritisation".
"It may be the case the no rules were broke, but if that is the case the rules need to change," Beef Plan said.
"Irish farmers have worked hard to create a genuinely sustainable brand and are working harder to improve it. The profits of that brand are not being shared. While processor profits are counted in the millions, Ireland's beef farmers are in decline," the organisation added.
"These are challenging times and we must have leaders we can have faith in to support the work we do and make real commitments themselves to the sustainability that they preach.
"Mr. Murrin does not fit that bill and must resign," the Beef Plan Movement claimed.
Ahead of Murrin's committee appearance and the planned protest outside Leinster House tomorrow, Beef Plan Movement has called for "a Bord Bia brand that consumers and farmers can trust".
The organisation wants to see "a restructured Board Bia board that is not controlled by beef processors and one that has beef farmer representatives on it that farmers can trust".
A message to Beef Plan Movement members said: "All the things we do to produce safe food adds cost but the reason we do it is because we have pride in producing a safe premium product."
The message went on to say: "As farmers what we can't allow is processors and politicians to laugh at us and make little of our work and effort."
The message to Beef Plan Movement members said: "Ireland needs you to come together and stand united to force change."
