Around 500-600 farmers and supporters attended a meeting in Claremorris Co. Mayo tonight (Thursday, February 19) organised by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) to discuss the controversy surrounding the chair of Bord Bia, Larry Murrin.

The farm organisation is 16 days into a protest at Bord Bia headquarters in Dublin where five members, now dubbed the 'Bord Bia 5', have been occupying the building.

Farmers want the chair of the board of Bord Bia to resign or be removed from his position after he confirmed that his company Dawn Farm Foods sourced some Brazilian beef to fulfil contracts.

The IFA has said that trust amongst farmers in Bord Bia has been lost as a result of what it is calling the "double standards" being shown to Irish farmers.

Farmers tonight expressed their anger, frustration and in some instances, disbelief that the matter has not yet been resolved.

Angry farmers spoke from the floor where they criticised Bord Bia for heavily penalising Irish farmers in respect of audits and inspections, while at the same time allowing a chair to remain in place who sources some beef from a country with far different standards to those in Ireland.

Quality assured farmers who have worked hard to adhere to standards said they feel disillusioned and let down and some even called for audits and inspections to be suspended completely.

The message to Bord Bia in no uncertain terms was that inspectors would not receive the warmest of welcomes from the farming community in the near future.

President of the IFA, Francie Gorman told the crowd that he was proud and heartened by the wave of support and said that he believes they have done "the right thing" and have a mandate to go further if necessary.

Francie Gorman said the meeting of the board of Bord Bia yesterday was the "first meaningful dialogue" which has taken place since the debacle began.

"We want movement on it. I don't want to see some of our members locked in inside in Bord Bia for a fortnight or three weeks.

"The courage they have shown, in going in there and the commitment that our members have shown around the country in turning up to Bord Bia in Ballsbridge, the far side of Dublin city, at the busiest time of the year, when people should be at home calving their cows, lambing their ewes, looking after their farms, they're turning up routinely in bigger numbers," Gorman added.

"We can't have confidence in Bord Bia while we have a chairman who is bringing in beef from Brazil; who's bringing in chicken; whose own company is not accredited to the processor standard."

Meeting

Apart from members of the IFA from across Connacht attending, so too did ICSA president Seán McNamara and several local councillors and TDs, including Independent Ireland TD, Michael Fitzmaurice.

Many of the politicians who spoke at the meeting said the government has turned its back on farmers and people should remember that when the ballot box opens again.

There were calls from many farmers in the audience for Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon to resign alongside Larry Murrin.

Others even called for Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris "to go" too.

The 'Bord Bia 5' joined the meeting remotely via computer and once they addressed the audience there was a standing ovation and cheers for their effort which has seen them not leaving the building in Dublin since they entered 16 days ago.

They receive food and water twice a day now, but the meeting was told the have endured very testing conditions.

Agriland will have a full video summary of the meeting in Mayo on its app tomorrow so stay tuned to hear what farmers had to say.