Farmers don't rule out more blockades as crucial beef talks set to take place
Farmers will stage more tractor blockades in Dublin next week unless significant progress is made in talks today.
Supermarket retailers will attend the Beef Market Taskforce, along with farming organisations and meat processors.
The Individual Farmers of Ireland says it will hold more protests in the capital next Wednesday if there's no progress.
Joe Healy, president of the Irish Farmers Association, says a beef price increase needs to be agreed today
"Pre-Christmas there the IFA had blockades outside the distribution centres and that was to get a message across to the retailers that farmers, beef farmers in particular, need an immediate price increase to try and become viable," he said.
"The current prices, which are over 50c under the cost of production, isn't viable.
We have to do all that's in our power to ensure that there is an immediate price rise.
"The price index has shown that there is a large gap between the price Irish farmers are getting and what those in the markets across Europe that has taken 90% of our beef are getting so we need that immediate price rise," he added.
