Farmers protesting in Cahir say the industry will become extinct if there isn’t action from secondary processors.
A group of pig farmers and local IFA members were protesting outside Oakpark in Cahir from 6am this morning as part of four protests nationwide organised by the IFA to highlight the challenges facing the sector.
Tom Sherman who was at the local picket, is a pig farmer from Cork, and says they need to see an increase to €2 per kg from the market place by June in order to simply survive.
Tom says they feel the system at present is totally unequal and they want to see some move towards making up the costs of feed increases.
He also told Tipp FM that they were there to negotiate.
“That’s why we’re here , we’re here to negotiate, we don’t want to be here.
“You have to be sitting at the table but what comes to the table has to be realistic… we want €2…it’s not going to get us out of the hole but it’s a start.”
Former Pig Chair for the IFA Tom Hogan was also in Cahir and says that he is hopeful that today’s demonstrations will get through to the processors.
“I suppose we’ll stop as much activity as possible, and just send a message back to the people inside here how bad we’re hurting.
“I do think it will get to them, but equally I think they have to go to the retailers and get as much as possible from them.
“I don’t think it will stop here I do think we’ll end up going to the retailers.”
