A 48 hour protest by farmers outside meat factories has gotten underway.

Demonstrations are being mounted outside 14 meat processing plants across the country, run by Kepak, ABP and Dawn Meats.

They represent 70% of processors.

These demonstrators spoke to Newstalk's Zara King outside the KEPAK factory in Clonee, Co Meath:

The IFA says its members are being short changed in comparison to their UK counterparts, saying the price paid for meat here is a euro per kilo or €350 per head lower than the North.

This is the second day of protests in less than a month, but talks aimed at averting the blockades broke down during the week without reaching an agreement.

Eddie Downey is the spokesperson for The Irish Farmers' Association:

Originally published at 7:44am