The IFA has given the go ahead to farmers for further action against the beef factories as part of IFA's determined campaign to secure beef price increases and address market specification issues.

The decision was made an emergency meeting of the IFA's executive council last night.

IFA President Eddie Downey said farmers are very angry that the price gap has not been addressed:

Farmers claim the price paid for their beef is 350 euro per head less here, than in the UK, or one euro per kilo.

Downey says Irish farmers are being badly treated by the meat industry: “There will be numerous meeting over the next couple of weeks. I expect it to be a very busy period where will be meeting, trying to discuss the issues.

“Really the key element here is we are now heading into the winter feeding period and the people who fed cattle last year got very shoddily treated, badly treated by the industry and those people are entitled to know how they are going to trade with the industry for this winter,” Downey said.