IFA President Tim Cullinan said that comments by Meat Industry Ireland in the Dail yesterday that delays in COVID testing could impact prices paid to farmers were inflammatory and wrong.
“While it is clear that we need quicker COVID test results, to link this with prices to farmers is unacceptable,” he said.
“This is typical of the factories. They will use any excuse to cut prices to farmers,” he said.
“Public Health has to be the priority at all times, but farmers have been working around the clock to keep the food supply chain open. They are already struggling to make ends meet and this threat by MII at yesterday’s Oireachtas Committee hearing is unacceptable,” he said
“It’s important that we keep the supply chain open, but it cannot be done by passing costs back to farmers. The beef barons will have to take less profits in 2020, rather than playing workers off against farmers,” he said.
