Angry Farmers Protest as Retailers Profit at Growers’ Expense

A large number of angry pig, poultry and beef farmers have staged a protest outside new Tesco Store in Naas town today (Fri), where the Sex and the City DVD is being launched over the failure of retailers to return a viable price through the food chain to producers whose livelihoods are threatened because of mounting losses.

The farmers say the retail sector continues to enjoy high margins, while refusing to address the rising costs of production impacting across all sectors – pig, poultry, beef, milk and egg producers – as world grain market prices soar.

“Retailers had better deal with this issue as it is unacceptable that they reduce prices to at a time when producers at a time when production and especially feed costs are escalating.”

In a clear warning to the retail sector, they said producer prices must increase immediately as thousands of local, on-farm jobs are in jeopardy. “Retail bosses have a responsibility to ensure that a fair price is returned to processors so primary producers can survive. A clear example of the rip-off is the price of pork. Pig producers are getting €1.34/kg and it sells for €7 on the supermarket shelves.”