Picket suspended outside Kilkenny meat processing plant

By COLIN BARTLEY

FARMERS who had been picketing a meat processing site in south Kilkenny over beef prices have called off their protest for the time being.

Last night representatives of the Beef Plan Movement and Meat Industry Ireland (MII) accepted a proposal aimed at ending the blockades at meat processing plants across the country.

For the first time in 10 days, there was no picket outside the Dawn Meats plant in Grannagh, South Kilkenny.

Last night, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed announced that both sides in the dispute, the farmers and the processors, agreed to accept his invitation to begin talks.

The result of this is the Beef Plan Movement calling off their protests and the MII suspending their threat of legal action.

This coming Monday, the representatives from the Department of Agriculture, the Beef Plan Movement, MII, state organisations, and other farm groups will attend talks aimed at resolving the impasse. Minister Creed is to select an Independent Chairperson to oversee the talks.