IFA meeting about Bord Bia protest in Cavan tonight

Meeting hosted by IFA Ulster-North Leinster committee is open to all

THE IFA is holding a public meeting in Cavan tonight to deliver an update on the stand-off between some of its members and Bord Bia.

Five IFA members including two farmers from Cavan and Monaghan and two women have been conducting a sit-in protest at Bord Bía’s headquarters in Dublin since February 3.

They are calling for the removal of the food agency's chair, Larry Murrin after it emerged his company, Dawn Farms, uses Brazilian beef in its meat products.

Dawn Farms said Brazilian beef made up less than 1% of its overall supply last year.

IFA members Patrick McCormack from Monaghan and Richard Moran from Mountnugent are among the group of protestors who have remained at the Pembroke Street headquarters of Bord Bia for the best part of this month.

Tonight’s meeting at the Cavan Crystal Hotel from 8pm is open to all farmers concerned with the progress or direction of the ongoing protest and the situation whereby the chair of the national food agency, whose responsibility is to promote Irish food and manage Irish farms’ quality assurance is importing meat from outside Ireland and the EU for his own company.

The meeting in Cavan follows well-attended meetings in Claremorris and Dublin in recent days over the same issues. Tonight’s meeting organised by the Ulster-North Leinster IFA committee is expected to include members from Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Louth and Westmeath.

IFA National Chairman Francie Gorman will be in attendance tonight along with other senior members of the association. All welcome.