A beef producers' rally due to take place tomorrow in Athleague, Co Roscommon, has been called off.
The announcement came from the Irish Farmers' Association whose members had been protesting outside the Kepak plant in Roscommon since last Tuesday. They had been complaining that Kepak had "led the downward drop" in cattle prices and were offering farmers prices below €2.52/kg (90p/lb) for their animals.
In 2000, the IFA shut down the beef industry in a month-long protest over the prices being offered and set a benchmark price of 90p/lb for cattle.
As a result of this week's protest, Kepak closed its cattle killing production lines at the Athleague facility and farmers stopped bringing their cattle to the plant. Farmers did not protest at other Kepak plants but had threatened to escalate the protest on Sunday when it expected hundreds of protesters from across the State.
Yesterday, a statement from IFA headquarters said agents for Kepak Athleague had been quoting farmers prices of €2.63/kg (94p/lb) for topgrade and €2.52/kg (90p/lb) for lesser grade steers, for next week.
IFA deputy president Mr Ruaidhri Deasy, who is in charge of the protest due to the hospitalisation of president Mr John Dillon, reminded beef processors that farmers must have a viable price for their cattle and the main export market in the UK remained strong.
The protest had the potential to escalate beyond one plant belonging to one company because the normal seasonal fall in cattle prices, which happens when farmers sell in the autumn when grass runs out, has not yet taken place.