The Farming Protest @ Dublin City Centre

Akabusi

pgj2015 wrote: »

fair play to the farmers, so you got stuck in traffic for a while so what? they work harder than any of you and arent getting enough money to earn a living, id say a fair amount of the ones complaining are originally from the country but are now some yuppy living on lattes and avocado on toast. if only people did this over what is happening with the insurance industry in this country.

Ridiculous statement - beef farmers work harder than anyone who doesn't support their protest? How could you stand by that, you don't know what the people who work in Dublin do or what their day involves, the vast majority have long commutes to endure also.
Also they obviously are doing okay considering the machinery they have, and don't come back with the crap that they need to have this equipment, sure I need a car myself but I'm not out buying a Ferrari when a Toyato will do. In any case, do you think the banks would give me money for a Ferrari unless I couldn't make the repayments?

MrMusician18

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The longer you have to hold on to the cattle the more your costs. The factories know this and can strangle small farmers in to selling.

Anecdotal story, one of the farmers on the protest told me that before Christmas a group of them with cattle ready for slaughter were approached by a processor, desparate for cattle to fill an order. They negotiated and the farmers said No they needed a bit more per kilo. A certain processor got to hear of the negotiations and intervened, telling the factory not to raise the price and to wait. A few days later three containers of beef arrived to the factory from Poland. Factories problem solved and the per kilo price remained intact.

According to farmer this is the kind of stuff going on, one or two controlling all.

Surely that can go both ways. If the price of beef is significantly higher on the continent and the UK, why aren't they selling them there?

markodaly

Irish farmers are one of the most entitled and self absorbed groups in Irish society.
Business not good? Then find something else to do with your land and labour. No one owes you a living, farmers of all people should understand that.

All this action and their previous actions does is disrupt other workers. No politican or policy maker gives two ****s about this 'protest'.
It also shows us how powerless they really are. If disrupting traffic and pissing off other commuters is the worst they can do, then they are ****ed.

FrancieBrady

MrMusician18 wrote: »

Surely that can go both ways. If the price of beef is significantly higher on the continent and the UK, why aren't they selling them there?

Are they claiming farmer in the rest of the EU are in a better position? I think it's a complaint across the EU if not the world.

And even if they decided to form their own co-op to process beef, the government (Coveney) seems to have given control of the offal and waste disposal to one operator. Guess who that is.

Akabusi

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Are they claiming farmer in the rest of the EU are in a better position? I think it's a complaint across the EU if not the world.

And even if they decided to form their own co-op to process beef, the government (Coveney) seems to have given control of the offal and waste disposal to one operator. Guess who that is.

I get that and it's a big black mark against Coveney, sure blood is thicker than water and all that. However, couldn't there be more than one processor of the offal and waste. Surely another license could be granted as otherwise it would be against EU anti competition rules. What goes on in other EU countries?

dixiefly

Anyone know how long the delay ended up on the m50. The tractors looked to be going really slow but that time of the evening the traffic is often going at a snails pace anyway.

FrancieBrady

Akabusi wrote: »

I get that and it's a big black mark against Coveney, sure blood is thicker than water and all that. However, couldn't there be more than one processor of the offal and waste. Surely another license could be granted as otherwise it would be against EU anti competition rules. What goes on in other EU countries?

Set up a reg compliant waste facility then set up their own processor? Dunno, seems a big ask to me.

I don't know if there are restrictions. But it does leave legitimate cause for concern about what is going on...no? And why they are in Dublin.

uch

To be honest Lads I work in Dublin city centre and have been affected by this demonstration a lot in getting home, but fúck it, these fellas need to earn a living too, so as far as I'm concerned, they can park their tractors wherever they want and for as long as they want,

G'way the culchies from a born and bred Dub

Strumms

uch wrote: »

To be honest Lads I work in Dublin city centre and have been affected by this demonstration a lot in getting home, but fúck it, these fellas need to earn a living too, so as far as I'm concerned, they can park their tractors wherever they want and for as long as they want,

G'way the culchies from a born and bred Dub

That’s your prerogative. Other people have responsibilities, families to look after themselves and commitments to meet. Sitting on a road which has been illegally blocked by farm vehicles and equipment...no, sorry..

MrMusician18

[QUOTE=FrancieBrady;112275201]Are they claiming farmer in the rest of the EU are in a better position? I think it's a complaint across the EU if not the world.

And even if they decided to form their own co-op to process beef, the government (Coveney) seems to have given control of the offal and waste disposal to one operator. Guess who that is.[/QUOTE]

They are actually. They claim animals for slaughter make 50c/kg more in the UK.

Really don't understand why they're not selling live to the UK

WishUWereHere

JupiterKid wrote: »

I support the farmers in their protest. As a people, we Irish IMO do not protest anywhere near as much as we should. In many other countries there would be tens of thousands of people out on the streets every single weekend protesting about the housing scandal and the government's wilful inaction on the issue.

The small-scale beef farmers are being crucified by the big processors in terms of price - they have every right to feel aggrieved and angry.

Personally I wouldn't be too pleased if I was held up for two hours on traffic on the M50 due to the tractor go-slow protest. But I can completely understand why the farmers are protesting.

Their gripe is with the price they’re paid? Then go and block the meat factories for however long it t@kes.

Di#graceful their behaviour yesterday.

Emmersonn

Well done the farmers for their protest. They are at least showing a backbone and will not submit to forced austerity . It's a pity the PAYE workers have'nt adopted similar protests. Maybe then the "Temporary USC tax" would never have been introduced. Open your eyes and have a look at the French protests. Remember "No gain without some pain"

dresden8

Why dont they blockade Goodman and his execs houses?

Real dilemma for the Gardai then.

Farmers or billionaire clientele.

generalgerry

Just heard Conor Faughnan on this morning on RTE saying that "a number of traffic laws had been broken" but he didn't see how the guards could have stepped in. Well I'm very sorry if this put the guards in an awkward position, but I'm sure if I parked my Golf across two lanes of the M50 and said that I was protesting about something, they would have had no problem removing my car. They should have pulled in ahead of the tractors on the M50, charged them with dangerous driving, impounded the tractors and let the b*stards walk home.

The Gardaí really need to grow a pair of balls.

Panch18

MrMusician18 wrote: »

They are actually. They claim animals for slaughter make 50c/kg more in the UK.

Really don't understand why they're not selling live to the UK

A large proportion of Irish beef goes to UK, up to 50% of exports

The problem is that somewhere along the line somebody is taking the difference between the farm price in England and the farm price in Ireland as profit. Also you mention live exports, which you are right to do as a means of keeping manners on the meat factories. However there is a massive push on to remove live exports. Farmers are fighting against it but the push to elongate them is huge. Already the uk changed its rules regarding moving livestock through the the uk so now Irish livestock have to go straight to France.

There are massive supply chain problems in agri, in Ireland, and across the EU and the whole world even.

Large agri business is making slaves of farmers to pay themselves high wages and high profits whilst at the same time paying f all for the produce from farmers. The most blatant example of this is that Siobhan Talbot, ceo of glanbia, gave herself a pay rise of something like 750k in April. Glanbia then proceeded to drop the price of milk continually for the entire summer, going against the world market trend of stabilising and improving prices. To top it all off Glanbia’s share price tanked on the back of poor results. Off the top of my head it fell from 18.50ish to 10.50ish in the space of 6 months during 2019. This is just 1 example of the kind of carry on that is going on in the “supply chain”

At the same time we are being subject to a tirade of abuse and propaganda from the vegan focused media who are determined to spread pure unadulterated lies regarding farmers both from a animal welfare point of view and a “climate change” point of view

Farmers have been pushed to the edge, no they are starting to push back

For the record I’m not a massive fan of the crowd involved in this particular protests. HOWEVER I think this is just the beginning, bigger and better organised protests will come, i’m almost certain of that. We only have to look across the EU to see that this is a very large problem, massive protests in France, Germany and Holland in particular. It’s coming here I think as well

FrancieBrady

Panch18 wrote: »

For the record I’m not a massive fan of the crowd involved in this particular protests. HOWEVER I think this is just the beginning, bigger and better organised protests will come, i’m almost certain of that. We only have to look across the EU to see that this is a very large problem, massive protests in France, Germany and Holland in particular. It’s coming here I think as well

Good post.

I think you are right, this is a beginning of something rather than an end. And I think you will see (I think it will sort this greed quicker) farmers across the EU coming together too.

sbsquarepants

jmayo wrote: »

For someone lecturing farmers to give up and change jobs because they are not paying very well, why don't you take your own fooking advice.

You'll find very few people who haven't taken that advice at one stage or another.

jmayo wrote: »

BTW where do you suggest they go look for work and do you suggest they sell their family home in the process?

Yes, if they have to, why not? Lots of people have had to do so.

This is what pisses me off about a lot of farmers - they really think they are something special. How dare you suggest i work at something else, i'm a farmer. How dare you suggest i move house, i'm a farmer. How dare you suggest i accept market rates for my products, i'm a farmer. And on and on and on ad nauseam.

It's sickening!

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The longer you have to hold on to the cattle the more your costs. The factories know this and can strangle small farmers in to selling.

Anecdotal story, one of the farmers on the protest told me that before Christmas a group of them with cattle ready for slaughter were approached by a processor, desparate for cattle to fill an order. They negotiated and the farmers said No they needed a bit more per kilo. A certain processor got to hear of the negotiations and intervened, telling the factory not to raise the price and to wait. A few days later three containers of beef arrived to the factory from Poland. Factories problem solved and the per kilo price remained intact.

According to farmer this is the kind of stuff going on, one or two controlling all.

And?

For my own job i bring in stuff in from Poland + Lithuania all the time because it's cheaper - common market remember. It's a 2 way street. The very same way Irish farmers can sell to England, Polish farmers can sell to Ireland.
It's basic business, if you can get your materials cheaper, why the hell wouldn't you?

Sounds to me like these farmers were greedy thinking they had the factory over a barrel and in the end they priced themselves out of the market.

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Good post.

I think you are right, this is a beginning of something rather than an end. And I think you will see (I think it will sort this greed quicker) farmers across the EU coming together too.

It's the beginning of people demanding these entitled divas be put back in their place as far as i can see. I know every politician who knocks on my door will be getting an earful about it.

I'm also considering giving up eating beef entirely in protest and at least 6 or 7 people i work with have said the same. Enough is enough. I'm sick of these arseholes.

Deebles McBeebles

Panch18 wrote: »

A large proportion of Irish beef goes to UK, up to 50% of exports

We export half our beef? How much of that is due to growing too much in the first place and how much is because Irish farmers get undercut by imported beef?

sbsquarepants

We export 85%!

newport2

MrMusician18 wrote: »

They are actually. They claim animals for slaughter make 50c/kg more in the UK.

Really don't understand why they're not selling live to the UK

It's because the UK puts a premium price on UK produced beef, Red Tractor symbol stamped on it. Any imported beef in the UK does not fetch the same price in supermarkets. So while the UK market is paying more per kg for homegrown beef, they won't pay the same for Irish beef.

Gary kk

sbsquarepants wrote: »

We export 85%!

Yeah but not all that goes to the UK

FrancieBrady

sbsquarepants wrote: »

And?

For my own job i bring in stuff in from Poland + Lithuania all the time because it's cheaper - common market remember. It's a 2 way street. The very same way Irish farmers can sell to England, Polish farmers can sell to Ireland.
It's basic business, if you can get your materials cheaper, why the hell wouldn't you?

Sounds to me like these farmers were greedy thinking they had the factory over a barrel and in the end they priced themselves out of the market.

I'm not sure that an outside entity interfering in a deal to control the price of beef is 'basic business'.

It's the beginning of people demanding these entitled divas be put back in their place as far as i can see. I know every politician who knocks on my door will be getting an earful about it.

I'm also considering giving up eating beef entirely in protest and at least 6 or 7 people i work with have said the same. Enough is enough. I'm sick of these arseholes.

'Considering' just like you are considering a new job?

Gary kk

Can't help but think that all those people in Dublin giving out about the protest should just pack up and move to Cork maybe Galway. Less protest in those cities and we wouldn't have to listen to them cry about how hard a one or two day traffic delay as completely ruined any form of happy live they have now or will have in the future.


Probably missed a full stop somewhere.

bilbot79

I was disgusted at the idea of driving dirty daysul tractors from Galway to Dublin unnecessarily for a protest about the price paid for the most environmentally burdensome food source.

Carbon criminals!

Panch18

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

We export half our beef? How much of that is due to growing too much in the first place and how much is because Irish farmers get undercut by imported beef?

Yes we are one of the biggest beef exporters in the world

Agri and food products are Ireland’s only real indigenous export products

Panch18

sbsquarepants wrote: »

We export 85%!

We do

feeding a lot of people with top quality dairy and beef products

sbsquarepants

Gary kk wrote: »

Yeah but not all that goes to the UK

FrancieBrady wrote: »

'Considering' just like you are considering a new job?

Yes.

I really don't understand why you are struggling so much with this concept?

I have a handy enough job, but the money is only so so. I'm considering moving, but i'm not in any particular rush. It's hardly that bizarre a situation Francie!

tjhook

Anyone here old enough to remember the Foot and Mouth crisis in the early 2000s? It was a problem largely avoided in this country, with the support of the public. not to mention (taxpayer-funded) compensation for those few farmers who were directly affected and (taxpayer-funded) efforts to prevent outbreak here. Overall, the financial impact on the farming community was either neutral or benign.

The public got some thanks for it. Thanks to a shortage of beef in the UK, there was an opportunity for higher prices there, and prices were raised in Ireland too.

I wonder if these farmers on the M50 would be looking for public support if something similar were to happen again. They've burnt a lot of bridges over the past days.

Gary kk

bilbot79 wrote: »

I was disgusted at the idea of driving dirty daysul tractors from Galway to Dublin unnecessarily for a protest about the price paid for the most environmentally burdensome food source.

Carbon criminals!

11 percent is what agricultural contributes in way if greenhouse gases you can check that. The vast majority of the greenhouse gases come form energy production

Stovepipe

generalgerry wrote: »

Just heard Conor Faughnan on this morning on RTE saying that "a number of traffic laws had been broken" but he didn't see how the guards could have stepped in. Well I'm very sorry if this put the guards in an awkward position, but I'm sure if I parked my Golf across two lanes of the M50 and said that I was protesting about something, they would have had no problem removing my car. They should have pulled in ahead of the tractors on the M50, charged them with dangerous driving, impounded the tractors and let the b*stards walk home.

The Gardaí really need to grow a pair of balls.

you don't need to involve the Gardai, for any physical action,just get them to check the tractor registrations and get Revenue to audit the owners. That's what they did on the last protest. Sometimes the quiet backdoor approach gets better results. Block the streets of the Capital? Have an audit....won't be long softening their cough when they get a tax bill...

Deebles McBeebles

Panch18 wrote: »

Yes we are one of the biggest beef exporters in the world

Agri and food products are Ireland’s only real indigenous export products

So surely we need to produce less beef in order for the remaining farmers to get a good price for what they produce? We've over-saturated the market.


How easy would it be for a beef farmer to move into farming something else?

Gary kk

Stovepipe wrote: »

you don't need to involve the Gardai, for any physical action,just get them to check the tractor registrations and get Revenue to audit the owners. That's what they did on the last protest. Sometimes the quiet backdoor approach gets better results. Block the streets of the Capital? Have an audit....won't be long softening their cough when they get a tax bill...

Did they how do you know?

FrancieBrady

Stovepipe wrote: »

you don't need to involve the Gardai, for any physical action,just get them to check the tractor registrations and get Revenue to audit the owners. That's what they did on the last protest. Sometimes the quiet backdoor approach gets better results. Block the streets of the Capital? Have an audit....won't be long softening their cough when they get a tax bill...

Have you a link to where this happened? Or is it another one of those myths that grow up around these things?

whelan2

Stovepipe wrote: »

you don't need to involve the Gardai, for any physical action,just get them to check the tractor registrations and get Revenue to audit the owners. That's what they did on the last protest. Sometimes the quiet backdoor approach gets better results. Block the streets of the Capital? Have an audit....won't be long softening their cough when they get a tax bill...

Are you saying farmers dont pay tax?

weldoninhio

Millionaire only not wrote: »

Want a bet , I suppose u think we’d give them a hand to lift them on the flat bed lorry’s !
Most of the Gardai are boggers anyway!

If the Gardai refuse to do their duty, sack them. They can go back to Ballygobackwards and do security in the local Londis. That might soften their cough.

Strumms

Gary kk wrote: »

Can't help but think that all those people in Dublin giving out about the protest should just pack up and move to Cork maybe Galway. Less protest in those cities and we wouldn't have to listen to them cry about how hard a one or two day traffic delay as completely ruined any form of happy live they have now or will have in the future.


Probably missed a full stop somewhere.

They aren’t complaining about traffic delays. Traffic delays happening every day of the week... they are complaining about a working city or parts of it being ground to a virtual standstill for a significant duration of time through illegal activity and thuggery, by a bunch of thugs, bullies and their supporters. Driving dangerously, generally behaving dangerously.. preventing people from accessing hospitals, airports and all essential services as well as just going about their business ...

They disagree with the fact that to protest it can’t be organized, controlled so that the law abiding citizen can go about their day unhindered in a safe and efficient manner while still getting their message across...

They have absolutely zero thought or regard for people living and staying in Dublin, the impact on businesses etc....

If people from the city went down the country with trucks and blockaded farms, dairy processing plants and so on because they disagreed with a government position on xyz, they would be up in arms...the gripe the farmers have is not with the people of Dublin, it’s with the authorities, democratically elected people ..

weldoninhio

Strumms wrote: »

Farmers prevented from achieving their aims, attempt mass disruptions and dangerous chaos with tractors and other industrial agricultural vehicles , army and Gardai intervene.... GUNS... yes, not a lot of people will sympathize with you, thank fûck. When you can’t achieve your aims by peaceful means, shoot people, right, jesus, this is what we are up against.

I thought he was serious before that post. Guaranteed WUM now.

Bishop of hope

I wonder will they make them pay their tolls?

whelan2

Bishop of hope wrote: »

I wonder will they make them pay their tolls?

What is the cost of a till for a tractor?

Gary kk

Strumms wrote: »

They aren’t complaining about traffic delays. Traffic delays happening every day of the week... they are complaining about a working city or parts of it being ground to a virtual standstill for a significant duration of time through illegal activity and thuggery, by a bunch of thugs, bullies and their supporters. Driving dangerously, generally behaving dangerously.. preventing people from accessing hospitals, airports and all essential services as well as just going about their business ...

They disagree with the fact that to protest it can’t be organized, controlled so that the law abiding citizen can go about their day unhindered in a safe and efficient manner while still getting their message across...

They have absolutely zero thought or regard for people living and staying in Dublin, the impact on businesses etc....

If people from the city went down the country with trucks and blockaded farms, dairy processing plants and so on because they disagreed with a government position on xyz, they would be up in arms...the gripe the farmers have is not with the people of Dublin, it’s with the authorities, democratically elected people ..

Lol sure they would just move the trucks with the big red tractor.not the farmers fault the government sits in Dublin. Anyway Waterford is also an option if you don't like the other two. Oh Limerick that's a nice city plenty of work there.

weldoninhio

Millionaire only not wrote: »

And I made the point of they were telling people to uphold the law that have more guns than them ! Not very clever would u think
Anyway it’s **** talk as the army wouldn’t have the balls ! They’d have better chance of frightening them few scum bags from drogheda !

Yes, the army who go on tours of Chad, Lebanon etc. will be afraid of some boggers with 12 gauge shotguns. Maybe the clowns should try and take the GPO, Stephens Green and Bolands Mills the next time they're up. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Bishop of hope

whelan2 wrote: »

What is the cost of a till for a tractor?

Never seen a till on one, but maybe a plough:).
I don't know tbh, but I just wondered how they'd handle that.

weldoninhio

boggerman1 wrote: »

As a farmer myself can I just say sorry to the people of Dublin caught up in that nonsense this evening.I’m ashamed to be a farmer.these fu&&ers don’t represent me

Fair play to you.

weldoninhio

pgj2015 wrote: »

fair play to the farmers, so you got stuck in traffic for a while so what? they work harder than any of you and arent getting enough money to earn a living, id say a fair amount of the ones complaining are originally from the country but are now some yuppy living on lattes and avocado on toast. if only people did this over what is happening with the insurance industry in this country.

So get a new job Cletus.

Panch18

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

So surely we need to produce less beef in order for the remaining farmers to get a good price for what they produce? We've over-saturated the market.


How easy would it be for a beef farmer to move into farming something else?

Why shouldn't we export beef? We are good at producing it

newport2

Gary kk wrote: »

Lol sure they would just move the trucks with the big red tractor.not the farmers fault the government sits in Dublin. Anyway Waterford is also an option if you don't like the other two. Oh Limerick that's a nice city plenty of work there.

What do the farmers want the government to do?

weldoninhio

dresden8 wrote: »

Why dont they blockade Goodman and his execs houses?

Real dilemma for the Gardai then.

Farmers or billionaire clientele.

Not really a dilemma. A simple 'are they breaking the law or not'. If they are arrest them, if not don't arrest them. Surely even a farmer could understand that??

Panch18

weldoninhio wrote: »

If the Gardai refuse to do their duty, sack them. They can go back to Ballygobackwards and do security in the local Londis. That might soften their cough.

and what about the kids out protesting for "climate action" back in the good weather in September? Didn't they block up the streets and cause chaos?

Or the Luas, bus and train drivers who cause havoc by their protests which stop people getting to and from work/appoinments etc

Is it just farmers that you have a problem with protesting?

newport2

Panch18 wrote: »

and what about the kids out protesting for "climate action" back in the good weather in September? Didn't they block up the streets and cause chaos?

Or the Luas, bus and train drivers who cause havoc by their protests which stop people getting to and from work/appoinments etc

Is it just farmers that you have a problem with protesting?

The kids wanted the government to introduce green policies.

The Luas drivers wanted a pay rise from their employer.

What do the farmers want the government to do?

Panch18

Strumms wrote: »

They aren’t complaining about traffic delays. Traffic delays happening every day of the week... they are complaining about a working city or parts of it being ground to a virtual standstill for a significant duration of time through illegal activity and thuggery, by a bunch of thugs, bullies and their supporters. Driving dangerously, generally behaving dangerously.. preventing people from accessing hospitals, airports and all essential services as well as just going about their business ...

They disagree with the fact that to protest it can’t be organized, controlled so that the law abiding citizen can go about their day unhindered in a safe and efficient manner while still getting their message across...

They have absolutely zero thought or regard for people living and staying in Dublin, the impact on businesses etc....

If people from the city went down the country with trucks and blockaded farms, dairy processing plants and so on because they disagreed with a government position on xyz, they would be up in arms...the gripe the farmers have is not with the people of Dublin, it’s with the authorities, democratically elected people ..

The day before this protest took place, look at what happened on a farm not 150 miles from Dublin

A bus load of people turned up and created chaos on a farm

https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/vegan-protesters-take-pig-from-northern-ireland-farm/

For all those criticisng the Gardai - you should note that the police took no action against the vegan protestors who basically stormed a farm en masse creating all sorts of problems for the farmer by robbing piglets and releasing pigs etc Blatently breaking many laws

So if you perceive the Gardai to be acting softly softly then bear in mind that farmers are on the receiving end of that as well